Diamonds and Emeralds
by Amy Ehren
Summary: After a particularly bad day, Harry finds himself lusting after Lucius Malfoy. M/M Alive!Snape, Alive!Dumbledore. Also includes DM/BZ and SS/LL.
1. Chapter 1

"Oh shit."

That simple profanity alerted Professor Snape that something was amiss more than usual. His students normally opted for something slightly more discreet, and if it was worth that blunt exclamation, it had to be disastrous. He walked behind the slender, black-haired student that had said it, becoming slightly alarmed at the fact that instead of the potion being a deep red and still, it was pink, and bubbling uncontrollably. The professor already knew what had gone wrong; they didn't just give out the title of Potions Master.

"Potter you idiot!" he roared, causing the boy to jump, and everyone else besides, also causing someone to scream in shock. "Did you add in the powdered mother-of-pearl?" The Potions Master's voice was dangerously low. Harry groaned. "Add it in _now_, before that thing explo—"

They were cut off by the sound of an actual explosion. Harry looked down at his cauldron, expecting to find it in pieces. His, however, was fine. He looked around and saw poor Neville looking like he had stuck his face into black paint, completely terrified, and Seamus looking rather irritated.

"Potter…" Snape growled, his desire to kill Harry all too evident. "You have two weeks of detention with me."

"What?" Harry yelped, shocked.

"And an essay on the importance of adding the correct ingredients so that the professor can concentrate on the more dangerous students." At this, the angry man glared at Neville and Seamus. "Two rolls, given to me within three days. If I see Miss Granger's handwriting _anywhere_ on it, even in edits, it will be another two rolls on doing your own work, Potter."

"But why the detention?" Harry found himself asking before he could stop himself.

"For the damage you caused by keeping me from preventing the explosion in Longbottom's cauldron. Class dismissed. I've had enough of you." With that, the professor swept from the room, and Harry glared at his back.

"That's bullshit," Harry growled, picking up his equipment and packing it away. He was the last in the room; everyone else had sprinted out, lest Snape come back in his foul mood.

"Oh, hi Harry!" He turned to see a familiar blonde looking at him.

"Hi Luna," he said rather irritably. She looked him over.

"Whatever happened, it'll be alright," she assured him, her serene smile on her face. He laughed bitterly.

"No it won't. I have to write two scrolls on adding the right ingredients, and I have two weeks of detention!" he said vehemently, violently picking up his bag. "I'll see you." She waved at him happily as he walked away.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Oh my dear boy," the breathy woman said, staring at him gravely. He rolled his eyes and glared at her.

"I know, I'm going to die a gruesome death tomorrow," he snapped. She looked taken aback.

"No need to get angry. I was going to say that you will become entangled with something you shouldn't. And yes, you will be mauled by wolves," she added, walking off to another table. Harry turned to Ron.

"I'm sick of hearing her predict my death," he said. "She's so full of it. Especially about becoming entangled with something? That's stupid." Ron shrugged, clearly unsure how to appease his angry friend.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry was walking back to his common room to put his books away. At the end of the hall, he caught a glimpse of a tall blonde walking away. He nearly screamed. Why did Lucius Malfoy have to show up today of all days? He could have dealt with it any other day, but today was the worst. That damn man seemed to make his mission in life to torment him with snide comments about his feats, and anger at the fact that Harry had landed him in Azkaban. Harry did suppose that he would be bitter towards anyone who had led to his imprisonment. But still, it was the worst day for the prat to show up.

Harry let out a roar of frustration, angrily throwing his wand down to his mattress. He yelled in surprise when sparks shot out the end and landed on the curtain, starting a small fire. With a quick spell, Harry put the flames out and let out another angry cry, throwing his robes off and putting on something more comfortable for dinner. He was a little late, he knew, but there would still be plenty of food. Besides, there was less of a chance of running into Malfoy if he were a little later.

He walked through the halls, looking down at the floor, hands shoved into pockets, muttering angrily. Some days were just horrible; if one thing went wrong, everything after that went wrong. Of course, by this philosophy, Harry knew he was bound to have to talk to Lucius at some point. He wasn't prepared, however, to walk right into the snake himself. Harry groaned; he'd hoped it would just be a simple passing in the hall, a few curt words, and then they'd be on their way. But no, he had to nearly knock him over. The elder Malfoy glared down at Harry.

"Watch where you're going, boy," he said in a silky tone that dripped malice. Harry rolled his eyes, just wanting to get out of the situation that was bound to make his day worse. Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Why, you insolent brat!" he hissed. "I would have thought that the hero of the Wizarding world would have at least decent enough manners to apologize. I was minding my own, trying to make my way to that idiot headmaster's office, and you nearly cause me to fall in an undignified heap to the floor." The blonde man looked like he wanted nothing more than to put his hand to Harry's throat and squeeze.

Harry glared at him, his nails making crescent-shaped indents into the palms of his hands. "Fuck off, _sir,_" he said with nasty emphasis. "First, I've been having a horrid day, and I don't need you to make it dismal. Second, I don't give a damn what the 'hero' should or shouldn't have. Third, you could have moved out of the way. Just because I wasn't watching where I was going because the halls are normally empty around this time, doesn't mean you can't move your ass out of my way, you fucker." He reeled back after the powerful slap that Lucius aimed at his face. Somehow, it felt strangely liberating to have said everything, even though it was uncharacteristic to be so… _mean_ about it. It felt good, honestly.

"Don't you ever say that to me again," Lucius snarled, adjusting the black leather gloves he wore.

"What, tell you to fuck off? Or call you a fucker?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. His smirk simply infuriated Lucius further. Lucius' glare cut like diamond, his eyes shining with a cruel determination.

"I'll teach you some manners, Potter," he spat, dragging Harry into a nearby, empty classroom. He began removing his cloak. He turned to Harry, whose glare would have stopped a slightly less determined man. He pushed the teen against the wall and roughly shoved his mouth on the younger boy's. For a moment, Harry simply stood there, frozen. He felt himself giving into Lucius' lips. It felt right to be kissing him, but it wasn't right at all. It was beyond wrong, he knew. Or at least, that's what he tried to tell himself. Harry's hands made their way to Lucius' back. His lips parted slightly and Lucius' tongue darted inside Harry's mouth. The sudden intrusion alerted Harry to exactly what was happening, and the moment he realized what he had done, he began to fight back, his nails raking the blonde's back through the suit he wore. Lucius recoiled with a sharp intake of breath. He was flushed, several strands of hair out of place. He looked pleased with himself, but unsatisfied. Smoothing back his hair, he took his cloak and turned on his heel. "Next time, Potter, I won't be so easy on you."

Harry watched the older man go and sank to the floor. What exactly had that been? He'd felt anger in Lucius' lips, but also lust. Somehow, they had felt wonderful. Not like Ginny's, or like Cho's. They were firm and controlling, not waiting for him to take the lead he never really wanted to take. Then, when his tongue had found its way into his mouth, it had startled him out of his reverie, though he sincerely wished he hadn't ended it. There was no denying that he had enjoyed the elder Malfoy's "discipline." Lucius' lips had tasted like fine wine, as if the man had been drinking before visiting Hogwarts. It tasted rather good, actually. The force, and the taste were rather arousing, his lips beginning to tingle. Harry found himself with the beginning of an erection at the mere memory of Lucius' kiss. He blushed fiercely, realizing exactly what it meant. However, he wasn't just going to leave it there. He walked over to the door and closed it softly, retreating back to a corner of the room where he could tend to the growing bulge in his pants.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry walked out of the room in a state of disbelief. Had he really just jerked himself off to the thought of Lucius Malfoy, the father of his rival, and twice his age? The man was beautiful, yes, but cruel and unmerciful. Harry had always pictured himself with someone who was the picture of kindness, who would truly care. But the idea of Lucius' "bad boy" image was alluring in an entirely different way. It was incredibly unusual. There was also the maturity Lucius undeniably had. His schoolmates were still children in his eyes. He knew he needed someone who could at least try to understand what he had been through, and hold an intelligent conversation. Harry knew Lucius was intelligent, as well as beautiful, and the sudden thought of actually sleeping with him made him know what he wanted. The fact that he had called Lucius' name when he came, imagining those smooth hands instead of his own calloused hands, was enough to leave him embarrassed and a little angry with himself. He needed to talk to Hermione.

He found Hermione in the Library after having gone to wash his hands. She looked up at him and a concerned look crossed her face.

"Harry… Your lips are bruised," she said, scrutinizing them. Harry blushed.

"'Mione, I need some help. I ran into Lucius Malfoy. No, don't say anything yet," he said when she opened her mouth to speak. He continued. "I was already having a bad fucking day with Snape and Trelawney, and then I nearly made him fall and he got pissed, so I told him to fuck off." Hermione gasped, a hand over her mouth. Harry grinned sheepishly. "Then, he… um… he took me into an abandoned classroom and kind of attacked me with his mouth. Then he just left."

"Harry, you need to tell McGonagall," Hermione whispered shrilly. She couldn't scream or Madame Pince would kick them out.

"Actually 'Mione, after he left, I kind of… well, the memory of him sexually aroused me," he admitted uncomfortably. Hermione stared at him as if she had been hit with a brick in the face.

"Please tell me you did _not_ masturbate to LUCIUS MALFOY!" she hissed. Harry blanched and Hermione looked pleadingly to him. "Oh no, you did, didn't you?" Harry nodded. Hermione groaned and put her face in her hands. "Honestly Harry, this is a really bad way to come out to me. I mean, I'd figured it out already, but he's not the person that makes you want to figure it out."

"'Mione, I'd known I was gay for a while," he said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, I went out with Seamus secretly for a while. We'd meet in the Room of Requirement and we'd—"

"That's quite enough, thank you," Hermione said pointedly. Harry blushed, thinking about what he'd almost said. "But does Ron know? He may take it harshly, especially after that horrid book he bought you for your birthday about charming witches." She made a face that said that she clearly disliked it. Harry snorted.

"It was reading that book that made me figure out my sexuality," he laughed softly. Hermione giggled. "I think I might be attracted to him. I mean, definitely sexually. But I think maybe just in general. I'd always seen myself with someone who was really caring and everything, but I just find Lucius downright sexy, and the idea of the bad boy image is actually appealing. I guess I just like a little bit of adventure." He shrugged. "Well, I really should go raid the kitchens and get something to eat. I'm starved. I'm pretty sure dinner is over now."

Hermione leaned in and whispered, "I hear orgasming burns a lot of calories. He is pretty sexy, Harry." Harry blushed crimson at Hermione's rare shamelessness as he walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow, not even up for 24 hours and a lot of people put it on alert! You guys are awesome. (: I'm in need of a beta, so if you want to volunteer, let me know!

It had been almost a month since the "incident" with Lucius Malfoy, as Harry thought of it. He was relieved that the man hadn't visited since. He never put too much stock in his luck, though; it would probably mean he would walk right into the man's bedroom or something. However, this time lapse hadn't lead to anything other than intense, erotic dreams where the elder Malfoy was seducing him. He'd wake up sweating, covered in sticky, white stuff. Who knew dreams could be that intense?

Harry sighed, staring into the chipped mirror in one of the boys' bathrooms. He was growing tired of the man haunting his dreams; he needed to face him. There was only one person who could arrange a meeting with that man, and it was the one person he felt the most uncomfortable asking anything from. Draco Malfoy.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Somehow, fate was with Harry today. He walked out of the bathroom to see a figure with long, silver hair walking away. He blushed, suddenly unsure of what he would say to the man. 'I have dreams about you fucking me' or 'Is your cock really as big as it is in my mind?' Yeah, right. That would go over well. He sighed, deciding it was in his best interests to not say anything. He stared at the floor, walking towards the Great Hall for lunch. Somehow, seeing Lucius made him want something strong to drink that he'd only ever had once, when Moody died. Firewhisky, or even the vodka his aunt and uncle used to keep. Lost totally in his own thought, he didn't notice that Malfoy senior had stopped and was watching him walk down the hallway.

As he was about to pass the slim man, a voice jolted him out of his thoughts. "Well, Mr. Potter. I see you've chosen to ignore me, you disrespectful brat," Lucius said coldly. Harry nearly jumped out of his skin and ran up the wall. He stared at the blond, eyes wide and cheeks rapidly turning a bright pink.

"I didn't see you," Harry said, his heart racing. That had been traumatic, especially when Lucius could have just used Legilimency on him and seen his thoughts. Thank God the man hadn't.

"Oh? That self-absorbed, are you?" Lucius asked snidely. Harry glared and Lucius just smirked at him. How the hell did this man manage to get him so desperate every night in his dreams? Sure wasn't his attitude. "Excuse me?" Lucius stared at him.

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"Who is he and what doesn't his attitude do?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow. Harry blushed. He'd said that part out loud. He turned away and started walking, desperate to get out of the situation he had put himself in. A hand in an iron grip around his arm stopped him. "When I ask you a question, boy, I expect an answer."

Harry made a few sounds that sounded like the beginning of a sentence, but no coherent words came out. "Well, uh… he… umm… is somebody who did something that I didn't like!" he said in a rush, almost too fast for Lucius to catch. Almost. He raised an eyebrow and snorted, his lips twitching as if he were going to smile. "It's the truth!" Harry exclaimed indignantly, crossing his arms and huffing. Lucius actually did smile and Harry realized why the man was so influential. His smile could charm a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Lucius' smile faded when he noticed Harry staring at him with an almost dreamlike expression.

"Are you going to continue staring at my face, or am I going to have to resort to some unconventional method, Mr. Potter?" he asked. Upon receiving no reply, he rolled his eyes and sighed. "It's a shame you're actually pretty. Otherwise, I might feel the disdain I'm supposedly putting into this," he murmured, leaning down and kissing Harry. Harry sank into the kiss, instantly thinking this was all a daydream. Lucius' eyes widened in surprise as the boy leaned into him. So much for snapping him out of a reverie. This may have just put him farther in.

Lucius pulled away, his lips tingling a bit. Harry smiled stupidly for a moment before realizing that he hadn't imagined it all. His eyes widened and he looked at Lucius in horror for a moment, before running back to his Common Room, leaving a bemused Malfoy standing in the hallway.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The next morning, Hermione glanced at the headline of the Daily Prophet and did and double-take. She looked at Harry and handed him the paper. He was confused until he saw the picture and the headline. The picture was of him and Lucius kissing in the hallway. _Golden Boy not so Golden After All. _


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Alright, here's chapter 3. They're kind of short, but they're to-the-point. And this chapter contains my first attempt at some smut. Ehehe. ^___^;; Anyways, enjoy the third part of Diamonds and Emeralds!

Harry stared dumbly at the Daily Prophet until he heard a yell of confusion from the Slytherin table. He glanced up to see Draco Malfoy looking positively murderous. A few people began opening their Daily Prophets and, in turn, staring up at Harry. He turned a deep shade of crimson, stood up, and began to briskly walk out of the Great Hall.

"Oi, Potter! Where the bloody hell do you think you're going?" the younger Malfoy yelled, standing up to follow Harry. Harry groaned and stopped right outside the Hall. Malfoy caught up with him and shoved the newspaper under his nose.

"Malfoy, I've seen it already, thank you," he said softly, glaring at the paper as if it would burst into flame if he willed it hard enough.

"Care to explain?" Malfoy spat, grabbing the front of Harry's shirt.

"He kissed me!" Harry exclaimed, roughly pulling himself away from Draco. "Not that I minded," he added under his breath. Unfortunately, the blond boy caught it and his glare became even more deadly, if that was at all possible.

"You want to fuck my father? Is that it? Fucking queer," Draco snarled disgustedly. Harry stared at Draco, shocked. He knew the blond hated him, but he didn't realize that the boy was homophobic as well.

"Do you have a problem with homosexuality?" Harry asked softly, feeling the beginning of tears forming in the corners of his eyes, and willing them to go away. He stared down at the ground, beginning to clench his fists. One more comment, and he'd punch Malfoy.

"Potter, I'm not exactly straight, but my father? Something is seriously wrong with you," Malfoy said, turning and walking away. Harry stood, watching after him for a moment.

"Mr. Potter?" came a female voice from not too far away, one that Harry recognized as coming from McGonagall. "You have a visitor in Professor Dumbledore's office." Harry was filled with a sense of dread.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

As Harry entered Dumbledore's office, the old man looked up at him with a small smile. He gestured to the man standing with his back to Harry. Of course, it would be Lucius. He had to have seen the article. Dumbledore stood and said, with a knowing smile, "I'll leave the two of you alone to sort this out."

Lucius turned to Harry, and spoke quietly, but with power in each word. "Which of your little friends did you get to take that picture?"

"None of them! I had no idea that anyone even had a camera here," he said honestly. "My guess, though, is that it would be Dennis Creevey." Harry shrugged, trying to keep from hyperventilating under the circumstances.

"I lost my job today, thanks to that article, Mr. Potter. I do expect you to take some responsibility for it. After all, if you hadn't been staring at me so intently that nothing could snap you out of it, I wouldn't have had to do that," he said softly, his grey eyes boring into Harry's green ones.

"Not to be rude, but you could have done something slightly less romantic," Harry said with a shrug then realized what he said. He clapped a hand over his mouth. Lucius cocked an eyebrow.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you rather enjoyed it," he said. Harry blushed and cursed silently. "Well, seeing as you owe me something for what you've done, you will work for me over the holidays in my home."

"Couldn't I just pay you instead?" Harry asked, a note a panic in his voice. Lucius shook his head.

"You owe me a lot more than money. On top of me losing my job, Narcissa divorced me," he said as though it didn't faze him in the least. "I will inform Draco, and he will accompany you to my Manor over the break." With that, Lucius left, leaving a very confused and upset Harry.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry struggled in vain against the leather strips that held his wrists to the bedposts. He was naked, and his skin felt good against the sheets. A silky voice came from the darkness.

"Now, my pet, I'm going to have some fun." Harry's eyes widened. He knew that voice. The man pressed his lips to Harry's and trailed his hand along the boy's thigh. His hands made their way to Harry's newly formed erection, where they stroked forcefully along the full length. Harry moaned, and the man took that opportunity to force his tongue into Harry's mouth. Harry began to stroke the man's cock, and he pulled away in pleasure, shivering. He smirked, his fingers making their way to Harry's sensitive ass. Upon the first finger entering, Harry came with a shout.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry awoke, shaking, his hands covered in his cum. He groaned. It was the fourth time he'd had this same dream. Lucius had taken him over and over in his dreams and he knew that something bad would happen if he couldn't get out of staying with the Malfoys. Something along the lines of Harry seducing Lucius and finding himself repeatedly called to Lucius' bed. He wouldn't even try to resist. He wanted Lucius. Now the trick was to get Lucius to take him to bed. He sighed, and made his way to the bathroom to clean up and start plotting.


	4. Chapter 4

The Christmas holidays were only days away now, and no one was in worse spirits than Harry, other than perhaps Moaning Myrtle, but then again, she was always depressed. He still hadn't figured anything out in terms of the older Malfoy, but he knew the younger was almost in as dismal spirits as Harry. He had made it clear that he did not want the boy responsible for killing Voldemort in his house, even if it was as his family's servant.

Hermione had tried to reassure him by saying, "Harry, you're of age and can do magic. You can always curse him." Harry had then reminded her that Lucius could, in fact, do magic as well. Hermione blushed and made a noise that sounded like "Oh yeah." Harry smiled at her and told her not to worry. After all, he'd killed Voldemort. What was a winter break with the Malfoys compared to that? Well, at least killing Voldemort hadn't sexually aroused him. THAT would have been a problem.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The train was leaving Hogwarts, and Harry got dragged into sitting with Draco, because as he said, "I don't want to have to go looking for you." He'd looked apologetically at Ron and Hermione, who gave him looks that clearly said good luck. Hermione grabbed his arm and leaned in, whispering, "Don't forget that new hex we worked on." Harry smiled a little and nodded. She turned and walked away, and Harry made his way to where Draco was impatiently waiting.

The compartment where Draco sat was occupied by two others: Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. Pansy glared at him, and Blaise stared impassively. Draco just sulked. Harry was absolutely sure Draco had somehow added in another twist to the story. He sat down, staring at the ceiling. After an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, Pansy stood up.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she said sweetly, batting her eyelashes at Draco, and pulling him up.  
"Me too," he said, walking out after her, a little irritated. Blaise snorted, and Harry looked at him.

"They probably won't be back for half an hour or so," he said casually and Harry stared.

"The Parkinson girl? Really? I'm surprised someone like Malfoy would stoop that low," he said before he really thought about what he said. Blaise laughed, a laugh that was a lot like Sirius'.

"She is pretty repulsive, but then again, boys are so much prettier," Blaise said, his eyes smiling a little bit.

"I beg to differ. She is very repulsive. And I find men much more attractive than boys," Harry said informatively. He felt it was just so easy to be very open with Blaise about everything. Hedidn't seem like the person to go blabbing, even if he was a Slytherin.

"So that's why you went for Malfoy senior, rather than the one who went to shove his tongue down Pansy's throat?" Blaise asked, and Harry blanched.

"That picture was taken without my knowing! And I was partly in a trance when it happened!" Harry exclaimed indignantly. Blaise raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

"So you fancy him," he said and Harry nodded slowly. Blaise smiled.

"Don't tell anyone, alright?" Harry asked.

"Alright. Your secrets are safe with me, whatever you may choose to tell me." Harry smiled.

"I actually kind of want to try to seduce him, but I'm awful at things like that," Harry admitted. Blaise blushed a little bit.

"You could… try it on me?" he said, looking somewhat hopeful. Harry giggled, a little nervously.

"Well, I suppose some experience is better than none," he said, standing up, and closing the short distance between the two of them with a walk that would be suited for the runway, his hips swinging.

Harry ran one hand down Blaise's chest, down past his crotch, then down his thigh. He straddled the Slytherin, lacing his fingers of one hand into Blaise's hair. He leaned down and kissed the other boy's neck, licking and biting simultaneously. When he decided he had gone far enough, he stood up, his face pink.

"Is that what I ought to do?" Harry asked. He'd been very bold, but he had been practicing in the Room of Requirement on a charmed doll. Hermione had been more than willing to help by charming the doll. Ron was a little grossed out by who Harry wanted, but went with it anyways, finding anything that he could give Harry to read that would boost his sexual confidence.

"Holy fuck Harry," Blaise said, a little breathlessly. "Do that to Malfoy and you'd be in his bed immediately. I'll be right back." Blaise stood up and walked out, albeit a little awkwardly, and his destination could only the bathroom.

Harry sat alone in the compartment, thinking. Draco would probably be out with Pansy most of the time, giving him time to be alone with Lucius. After all, the elder didn't work anymore, and at least they had a rather large fortune to tide them over for a while. He sat, lost in thought, and didn't notice Blaise return. The Slytherin sat down next to Harry and snaked an arm around his waist. Startled out of his thoughts, Harry let out a little squeak of surprise.

"Harry, if he ever hurts you… Or even if he's not good enough and you need someone else too, don't hesitate to find me," he said softly, gently kissing Harry's ear.

"Er, thanks," Harry said, distancing himself from Blaise. He may have practiced what he was going to do with Blaise, but that didn't give him the right to make any advances. Harry curled up, leaning against the window and closing his eyes. Blaise moved back to his former spot across from Harry, and resumed his impassive stare.

Draco came back in a while later, his clothes a little disheveled. His cheeks were pink. He glanced over at Harry, who was sound asleep.

"Draco, are you alright with Potter and your dad? I mean, it's Golden Boy," Blaise said softly. Draco groaned.

"I was really trying to forget that there was a published picture of the two of them kissing. It's just weird. But for the sake of my father, I'll deal with it. He was actually overjoyed that my mother left us. She's taken her share of lovers, both male and female, but she never went public with any of them. When my father did, she thought he was rubbing their marriage issue in her face," Draco said.

"Well, if you don't approve, I'll take Potter," Blaise said, gazing at Harry with a bit of lust in his eyes.

Draco glared at Blaise. He leaned over to Blaise and grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him so their faces were less than an inch apart. "Have you forgotten what we'd planned since third year? As soon as I'm through with Pansy and this goddamn thing with her parents insisting we stay together until the end of school, we were going to live together," he said bitterly, his voice getting a little choked. "Or do you not want to anymore?" Blaise looked apologetically at Draco, pulling him into a tender hug.

"Of course I do. This is just a passing fancy with him, I promise," Blaise said softly. Draco smiled and pulled him into a sweet kiss, their lips meeting for only a few seconds. A grunt from Harry startled them apart, and they sat for a while without touching each other.

"Where's Pansy?" Blaise asked, his lips still tingling from Draco's. Draco shrugged.

"I don't know, nor do I care, honestly," Draco said, his arms crossed. He was getting sulky again for two reasons. One, they were almost to King's Cross, which meant that it would be time to take Golden Boy home, and two, he couldn't give Blaise a goodbye kiss without being seen. Sometimes he wished he could just dump Pansy and go public with his secret boyfriend. Seizing the moment, Draco leaned across and gave Blaise an impassioned kiss.

"Whoa, that's new," said a sleepy voice, rather stupidly. Draco whipped around to look at Harry, who was smiling. He yawned and stretched. "I always knew that Parkinson twit was too base for you."

Draco couldn't help but smile. Maybe having Harry around wouldn't be _so_ bad. He noticed Harry glance at Blaise, his expression a little worried. Then Harry added, "Blaise, you better stick with him. I'm not dealing with a pissed Malfoy. Well, two, actually, because I'm pretty sure that his dad," he motioned at Draco, "is goddamn pissed at me." Draco smirked.

Blaise smiled apologetically. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere that he doesn't. There's just a lot of unreleased sexual tension because this is secret. So don't tell anyone," Blaise said, suddenly deadly serious. "I'm leaving it up to Draco when he tells everyone. It's really his reputation that's on the line, not mine." Harry nodded.

"Honestly, I don't think it would benefit me to say anything. It'd end up with a lot of people really pissed off at me. Now, if I were to benefit from it, that would be different. But I can't, so don't worry," Harry said. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you're not secretly a Slytherin? Oh, wait, that's right, I am talking to Harry Potter," Draco said with an amiable laugh. Somehow, this was making him not dislike Harry. He was even starting to think that they might be able to be friends.

The train slowed to a stop with the three of them chatting about lighthearted things. Pansy never came back to the compartment, and Blaise and Harry just assumed she went to sit with her girlfriends, having gotten what she wanted from Draco.

Waiting for Harry and Draco was, of course, Lucius, who made a point to distance himself from Harry. People were staring at them, as if expecting one of them to break into some sort of verse about his unrequited love for the other. Others staring were simply gawking at "the Chosen One" or glaring at the two. Lucius ushered them out of King's Cross hastily, glaring at the people who were staring.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

A/N: Oh wow, I am so sorry I didn't update in a really long time (at least for me). I didn't realize it had been that long. But this is a little longer than normal, so… YAY! Well, brownies and little Lucius dolls to anyone who reviews… And awesomeness points to anyone who figures out what I have in store next!


	5. Chapter 5

The moment Harry stepped inside the Malfoy Manor, he was in total awe. It was a huge, Victorian-style mansion, complete with period furnishing and everything. Harry couldn't help but stare at everything at once, and Draco snickered.

"Don't get whiplash, Potter," Draco said, a little snidely. Harry turned to face him and glared, but his attention was soon again pulled to some adornment over the doors. Lucius rolled his eyes at the Gryffindor, hiding a smile at his innocent fascination. Draco didn't miss it, and snorted.

"I'll leave the two of you here. Draco, you can show Harry where he's going to sleep," Lucius said somewhat abruptly, discarding his cloak, which one of the House Elves promptly caught. Harry watched Lucius' back as he walked away, his eyes trailing a little lower. Draco noticed this, and raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"You've got it bad, don't you?" Harry smiled sheepishly, which Draco took as a yes, even though his question had been rhetorical. Draco smiled, a hint of understanding in his eyes. He started walking to show Harry his room.

Harry's room was adorned with crimson. Draco laughed at Harry's somewhat bewildered expression.

"We had it decorated for your House. After all, you might have flipped and not done whatever my dad was going to have you do as well if it had been all Slytherin," Draco explained. Harry laughed a little. He sat on the bed and couldn't help asking the question that had just arisen.

"When you asked if I had it bad, why was there that hint of understanding in your eyes? I'm awful at emotions, but the only one I can read in eyes is understanding," Harry elaborated. Draco blushed.

"I feel that I can tell you this without you freaking out," Draco said with a heavy sigh, sitting down next to Harry. "Before I met Blaise, I liked an older man. I know what your reaction will be when I tell you who it is, so don't… I don't know, do your Gryffindor thing. I loved my godfather, who you know as Professor Snape." Harry stared, then shuddered a little.

"I have no idea what you see in him, but then again, I'm sure you have no idea why I feel the way I do about your dad," Harry said with a shrug. Draco nodded. He continued.

"But then I met Blaise, and I forgot about Severus. As you know, I can't go public with Blaise because of the whole thing of me being supposed to marry Pansy," Draco said bitterly.

"Is she any good, though?" Harry asked. Draco blanched.

"Potter, I'm disgusted by any form of the female anatomy. Especially when it involves my penis," Draco said, shuddering in horror. "And I she only gave me a blow job. I got off, imagining it was Blaise."

"Okay, that's all I needed to hear," Harry said, plugging his ears when Draco opened his mouth to speak again, only to close it and burst out laughing. Harry unplugged his ears.

"Alright Potter, dinner is served at seven in the Dining Hall. Lateness won't be tolerated by my father. He'll give you a good verbal beating for it," Draco said, turning to leave.

"Draco?" He turned, a little surprised at the use of his first name. "Where is the Dining Hall?" Draco's eyes widened a little.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you where that is," he said sheepishly. "If you turn left and go down the hall until you have to turn, go right, then it's the fifth door on the left." Draco turned and left. Harry sighed and fell back onto his bed. He was definitely going to get lost at some point.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

At seven, Harry had actually made it to dinner on time. There was a large table with three places set at one end. Lucius, of course, was seated at the head of the table, with Draco on his right, and Harry on his left. It was an awkward affair, with Lucius sitting stiffly, as if he had a metal rod stuck on his spine. Draco kept glancing at his father as his father knew exactly what was going on between his son and Blaise Zabini. Harry just felt out of place in the formal atmosphere, used to being forced to eat outside, or, on particularly bad days, in his old cupboard.

He was wearing a loose shirt that had once belonged to Dudley, and of course, Draco commented on it.

"You look like you're wearing a bed sheet, Potter," he snickered. Harry knew that even though they were becoming friends, Draco would not totally rid himself of the taunting.

"For your information, it belonged to my cousin. I don't have any Muggle clothes that were mine first," Harry said coldly. Draco's eyebrows shot up. He was clearly surprised that the Golden Boy wasn't treated like a king at home. "My aunt and uncle only took me in because Dumbledore forced them to. My cousin used to beat me up, and my uncle egged him on. My aunt forced me to cook and clean, and I only found out that I was a wizard when Hagrid followed us out to a hotel when I started getting my letters and kicked in the door. My uncle tried to stop him, but Hagrid gave Dudley—that's my cousin-- a pig's tail." Harry smiled at the memory. His smile faded when he remembered the summers after that point. "When I was thirteen, my uncle kicked me out for accidentally blowing up his sister when she called my father an unemployed drunk and my mother a bitch. Then, when I was fifteen, that toad Umbridge sent a couple of Dementors to my neighborhood and they almost gave the Kiss to my cousin. My aunt and uncle blamed me for his getting sick all over the door mat. They yelled at me for being inside the house, and yelled at me for sitting in the garden. My life hasn't exactly been as luxurious as yours, Draco," he said, a little unnerved by the fact that both Malfoys were staring at him, enraptured by what his life was really like.

"Holy crap Potter, I didn't mean to…" Draco stumbled over the words he meant to say, and Harry sighed.

"Don't say anything. I'm tired of people pitying me for having had to kill Voldemort as a teenager, and I don't want you to pity me. Just don't treat me like I'm worshipped at home," Harry said, resting his forehead on his hands. Draco flushed, and Lucius gave him an odd look. "No offense, but I'm going back to my room." Harry stood up, and neither Malfoy said anything. He left the room, his eyes beginning to sting with tears. It had been painful, retelling that, but he was sick of both Malfoys treating him like he was used to being considered a god by his guardians.

He collapsed on his bed, curling up into a small ball. If he was going to feel like this every day, he'd rather go home than face the two Malfoys. He fell asleep like this.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Lucius was surprised to find Harry's door standing open. He went inside, and sat on the edge of the bed, next to Harry. He smiled, unsure as of how Harry could curl himself into that small a form. Lucius' heart had gone out to him (although he didn't want to admit it) more than a little. He'd thought the boy was attractive before, but now he saw that he had a personality that Lucius admired. He stroked Harry's hair, and, unable to help himself, leaned down and gently kissed Harry's cheek.

"Mm… Lucius?" Harry mumbled sleepily, his eyes still closed. Lucius froze, staring down at the hand that now gripped his forearm tightly. He uncurled and wrapped himself around Lucius' waist, his head resting on his lap. Lucius smiled and adjusted himself so that he lay down next to Harry, with Harry still wrapped around him.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry awoke the next morning, wrapped around something. He snuggled in closer. Whatever it was, it was comfortable. He opened his eyes to see what it was. He noticed the long blonde hair, and his eyes widened. Thank god both of them still had their clothes on; he'd been thoroughly ground into the mattress in his dream. A sudden realization that he was cuddling with Lucius Malfoy caused him to shoot out of bed and fall on his ass on the floor. The thud woke Lucius, and he stretched, much like a cat, then looked around. He finally saw Harry on the floor, and smiled.

"Good morning," he said, and Harry nearly fainted.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

A/N- I made this chapter a little more fluffy… Ehehe. I couldn't resist the urge of fluff! Well, anyways… I'm just letting the story take its course, and for all I know, it could go in any direction. Reviews are wonderful! And I'm still looking for a beta… Please let me know if you're interested.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry stared up at Lucius, his power of speech suddenly gone. He kept opening and closing his mouth, and Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to impersonate a fish?" he asked, leaning his chin on his hands at the edge of the bed nearest Harry. Harry promptly snapped his mouth shut.

"What—why…?" was all Harry could manage. Lucius looked thoroughly amused. He brushed back his long hair from his face and stared Harry in the eye.

"You basically asked me to stay," he said softly and Harry blanched.

"What exactly did I say?" he asked nervously, hoping it hadn't been 'Fuck me' or the like. Lucius noted Harry's nervousness and wondered what he thought he'd said.

"You said my name and grabbed my wrist," Lucius said. Then, after a little thought, he added, "And you wrapped yourself around me. I took that as my invitation to stay."

Harry looked immensely relieved, but that feeling faded when Lucius asked, "What did you think you said?" Harry blushed an incredibly bright red and Lucius smirked. It was just a natural thing.

Harry was mentally slapping himself. He had been trying to figure out how to seduce Lucius, and here was his huge chance to, yet he was terrified of what the reaction would be. Harry stared down at the floor, biting his lip. Lucius was about to tell him to forget it when Harry took a deep breath and said, "That I wanted you." He wasn't going to just say 'That I wanted you to fuck me' because that would just have been too much.

Lucius was frozen in shock. He blinked a few times and stood up and walked out, as if he were in a trance. Harry groaned once he was gone. He'd fucked it up, as per the usual. Dating Cho had been disastrous, and he and Ginny had just fallen apart after the war had ended. Maybe it was just because they were girls that it hadn't gone well, but a trend was occurring. He buried his face in his hands, frustrated.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Lucius sat at the desk in his study, holding his head in his hands. Things had gone very strangely. He hadn't expected Harry to say that he wanted him, and, although he wasn't unhappy, he had expected to have to coerce Harry. He wanted the boy. There was no doubt.

Lucius knew the boy was mature; his dealings with Voldemort had proven that much. Despite his being used to a quick fuck, he wanted something to grow with Harry. Somehow, he felt that after everything that had happened with the two of them, he felt like a lasting relationship could help the both of them. He wasn't entirely sure what it would help them with, but it would help something.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Draco walked into Harry's room, utterly bewildered. His father had walked past like an Inferi, and he wanted to know what had happened. Upon seeing Harry on the floor, his brow creased in worry. He sat down next to Harry.

"Uh… Are you alright?" he asked, even though it was clear that something was wrong. Harry looked over at Draco, and to Draco's relief, he hadn't been crying.

"I just screwed up my chances with your dad," Harry said softly, leaning the side of his head on his knees. Draco raised an eyebrow and Harry continued. "I woke up next to him. Apparently he'd come in to talk to me and I was asleep, but I said his name in my sleep and grabbed him. But then I woke up with him and fell out of bed, and that woke him up. He seemed all smug and he finally got me to admit that I was terrified that I'd said that I wanted him when I asked him to stay. Then he just left like he was in a trance." Harry sighed.

"I'm going to go talk to him," Draco said, standing up. He patted the top of Harry's head a little awkwardly.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Father!"

Lucius looked up at Draco, who was obviously irritated. He raised an eyebrow in askance.

"I know what happened between you and Harry this morning. And now he's convinced that he's screwed things up. You really have outdone yourself this time!" Draco said, throwing his arms up and exaggerating his movements in his irritation. He whipped back around to face Lucius. "Especially after what he admitted last night. I cannot believe how… how… insensitive you are!"

"Draco, listen to me. I was incredibly shocked when Harry said what he did. I want to be with him. But I'm afraid of hurting him after what he said last night. You know what my history with lovers has been. You've walked in on a fair share of them," Lucius said, his lips twitching into what might have been a smile. "You know that they never last more than a night. But with Harry… I want it to last. I want a real relationship with him. In the previous years, I'd thought he was… fascinating, to say the least. But as you told me more, and as our encounters became more frequent, I found myself curious. Now I truly desire him in a way that I would wait years for him."

Draco simply stared at his father. "I suggest you go tell Harry before he inflicts some sort of harm upon himself," he said softly, and Lucius stood. "Be careful not to hurt him. He may be eighteen, but from what I've seen, he's fragile."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry finally uncurled himself from the ball he had been sitting in and leaned back against the wall. He conjured up a bottle of Firewhiskey and took a long drink, tearing up as the liquid burned his throat. He drank his way through the whole bottle, pausing only to breathe. He could understand why there were Muggle alcoholics. It seemed to drown out his sorrows, but something prevented him from feeling the full effects of the alcohol. Maybe Wizards had some strange tolerance. Harry sighed and let the empty bottle rest at his side. His head lolled to the left, coming to rest on his shoulder. He stared blankly at the wall, not even noticing the footsteps that meant someone was in the room.

"Oh Merlin, Harry," Lucius said softly, rushing over to Harry and kneeling in front of him. Harry's head rolled so that they were looking at each other. "What were you thinking? Firewhiskey is a powerful depressant." Lucius picked Harry up by his armpits and placed him on the bed.

"Are you here to make fun of me?" Harry asked, his words slurring together. Lucius looked surprised, but remembered what Draco had told him.

"Harry, when you said what you said earlier, it took me totally by surprise. I'd brought you here on two reasons: one, I had intended to have you assist me in some way with writing letters. Two, I'd hoped to seduce you," Lucius said softly. "But now, I feel that I want something that will last. Not just a quick shagging, but someone who will stay by my side as my partner for life." He held Harry to him and stroked his hair.

"Do you mean that?" Harry asked softly, twisting a strand of Lucius' hair around his finger.

"I do, Harry," he answered, kissing the top of his head. Harry twisted in his arms until he was facing Lucius. He pressed his lips to the blonde's, tangling his fingers in the long hair. The force of the kiss knocked Lucius onto his back, and his tongue danced along Harry's lips. They opened for him, and Lucius explored the inside of Harry's mouth. Lucius' hands made their way down to Harry's ass, and Harry pulled away suddenly.

"L-Lucius? I don't think I'm ready to hand my body over completely," Harry murmured, still retaining control despite the alcohol in his system.

"Then I won't do anything other than kiss you," Lucius said softly, leaning in and kissing Harry. Harry wrapped his arms around Lucius' neck, smiling through the kiss.

"Thank you," Harry said. Lucius picked Harry up under his knees, bridal-style. He carried Harry to his room, passing the open door to the study on the way.

Draco was sitting in the study, and he looked up as the two of them passed. He smiled at Harry's expression of pure happiness, and his father's expression of finally obtaining what would truly make him happy and keep him happy.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

A/N- Merry belated Christmas everyone! Anyways, reviews are lovely… They'd be like presents to me! And also, if anyone wants to do some art for this, I'd love them and dedicate the rest of this story to them, and maybe write them a story of their choosing! Alright loves, thanks for reading!

~Amy Ehren


	7. Chapter 7

Harry yawned and stretched, wincing. His head ached from the alcohol the previous night. He looked to the side and saw Lucius. He snuggled into the older man, closing his eyes as he felt Lucius stroke his hair.

"Good morning, love," Lucius mumbled sleepily. Harry groaned an unintelligible reply, holding his head. "Headache?" Harry nodded. Lucius said something and Harry's headache disappeared. He smiled.

"Thank you, Lucius. I'm staying away from alcohol for a while," Harry said, turning over so that he faced Lucius. He kissed the blonde, pulling away with a giggle when Lucius tickled his side, albeit unintentionally. Harry tumbled off the side of the bed and collapsed on the floor, laughing. Lucius stood up slowly, and stood over Harry. He helped Harry up, pulling the two of them together. Harry smiled as their bare chests made contact and wrapped his arms around Lucius. They kissed, Lucius sliding his tongue along Harry's lower lip.

"FATHER!" Draco's voice came from somewhere near the room.

Lucius glanced around, then sighed as he remembered what he and Draco had planned to do for the day.

"Draco and I are going to do some Christmas shopping today. I have to go. I'd take you, but it does involve shopping for you now," Lucius said with a smile. Harry laughed and let Lucius walk away to get dressed.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Draco and Lucius made their way through Diagon Alley. Lucius turned to Draco.

"Christmas Eve shopping is always crowded," he said. Draco snorted. He looked around and his eyes lit up when he saw Blaise with his parents.

"Father, could I invite Blaise to spend Christmas with us? After all, he is my best friend," Draco said, pouting. Lucius' eyebrows shot up. Malfoys simply did not pout, unless it was something they wanted with their whole hearts.

"Alright, you may invite him. What will Pansy's family say, however, when you do not invite them for the holidays?" Lucius asked. Draco groaned.

"Can't we just invite them on the New Year?" he asked, a little surly. Lucius rolled his eyes and nodded with a smirk. Draco's face lit up. He threw his arms around his father, who froze in surprise. Draco pulled away quickly and dusted himself off as if nothing had happened. He turned away and ran over to Blaise. The other boy smiled when he saw Draco, and the two parted from Blaise's parents.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

A few hours later, Draco and Blaise made their way back to the adults, and Draco thought it was appropriate to bring up the invitation. Draco took a deep breath and turned to Blaise's parents.

"Would it be alright if Blaise spent Christmas at Malfoy Manor?" he asked, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible. Lucius' lips quirked upwards.

"I suppose," Blaise's mother replied, hiding a smile. She knew that Draco was a bit afraid of them, and she knew that the two seemed happiest when together. Blaise's father looked somewhat indignant at not being consulted, but at a glance from his wife, he shrugged. Draco grinned.

"Thank you!" Draco exclaimed. Mrs. Zabini saw an unasked question in Draco's eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy, would it be permissible for Blaise to return with you? We've finished our shopping and have plans for the morning tomorrow with some old friends," she said.

"Of course, Mrs. Zabini," Lucius replied after a glance at Draco. Were those puppy eyes? Lucius smiled as they said good-byes and those going to Malfoy Manor Apparated.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Draco gasped, lacing his fingers in Blaise's hair as they passionately kissed. They were rapidly undressing, tongues making their way across any bare skin they could get to. Draco unbuttoned Blaise's pants, taking the other's erection into his mouth. His tongue flicked along the length, ran around the tip, then back down. Blaise gasped as Draco's hand massaged his balls gently, then more roughly. Blaise cried out as he came into Draco's mouth.

"Oh, Draco…" he murmured, massaging the blond's shoulders. He kneeled and kissed him gently, wrapping his arms around Draco. Draco guided Blaise's hand down to his own need, and Blaise obliged him by stroking its length slowly and teasingly. As Draco writhed he sped his ministrations up, stopping only when Draco bit his lip so hard it bled to keep himself from screaming in pleasure. Neither of them noticed when Harry opened the door to announce that lunch was ready.

"What the fuck?!" Harry yelled, covering his eyes. Draco scrambled away from Blaise, pulled a blanket off his bed, and threw it over the two of them. Harry cautiously uncovered his eyes. "Next time, lock the door," he hissed. "What if I were Lucius?!" Draco paled more than he already had, while Blaise's blush deepened the color of his cheeks.

"Please don't tell my father," Draco pleaded softly. "You know how much Blaise means to me. I don't know how my father will react to me going outside his arranged match." Draco bit his lip and wore a very un-Malfoyish expression of worry.

"It's safe with me. But in my opinion, if you want his blessing on this, tell him. Don't wait for him to walk in on you," Harry said, turning towards the door. "And be in the dining hall in five minutes for lunch or I won't make up excuses for you."

Draco let out a sigh of relief, turning to Blaise and placing a hand on either side of the dark skinned boy's face. He leaned in and rested his forehead on Blaise's, their noses just barely touching. Blaise wrapped his arms around Draco's slender torso, pulling his body closer in. Blaise pressed his lips to Draco's, then pulled away with a heavy sigh.

"I suppose we ought to get dressed," Blaise said, pulling on his clothes somewhat quickly, not caring about his appearance. Draco snickered as he pulled on his pants.

"Your shirt is backwards," Draco noted with a smirk. Blaise corrected it, muttering something darkly about "your mom."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry and Lucius were already waiting for Draco and Blaise in the dining hall when they walked in. They'd managed to groom themselves well enough to appear as though they hadn't just been getting ready to have sex. Harry smirked.

"Harry tells me you've discovered the joys of the Muggle game of 'ball and stick,' Draco," Lucius said, sipping some amber liquid. Draco had to fight to keep a straight face while Blaise had to lean over to "pick up his napkin" to disguise his laughter.

"We most certainly have," Draco said, somehow managing to keep his face straight while Blaise had tears streaming down his face under the table. Draco, however, was making a mental note to punch Harry later on.

After Blaise had stopped laughing, he sat up and quickly made up an excuse. "Draco's awful at it. He has no handle for it at all," he said. That caused Draco to snort in laughter, then look over at Blaise.

"Well, you're no better than I am!" he said. Harry was trying very hard not to laugh, because everything took on a whole new meaning after walking in on them. Finally, the laughter abated, and the rest of the meal passed in peace.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Hey everybody, it's Amy. (:

I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I don't feel too bad, because nobody reviewed the last chapter! I had no inspiration to work on this at all. ):

But then I had nothing to do during the "tsunami warning" on the 27th. That was a huge fakeout! We cancelled my show that night because of the supposed "great Hawaiian tsunami." I'm going to make a shirt that says "I live in Hawaii, waited for a tsunami, and all I got was a lousy three-foot swell."

Promotion will be in the next chapter!

Anyways, please review, all you who have this on update, or favorite story, or I'm sending Lain Coubert after you (Major cookies and I'll write something for you if you get the reference!!).


	8. Chapter 8

Tradition held fast in the Malfoy Manor. Well, tradition of everyone, including those who weren't yet of age, drinking bourbon after dinner. Harry warily declined his, and Lucius kissed his forehead with a small smile. Draco accepted his and took it in small sips. Blaise, never having had bourbon before, took a large gulp and coughed at the alcohol. Draco appeared to be very concentrated on the surface of the table as he drank.

"Father," he said suddenly. "I need to talk to you about something. Could we go to the study?" Draco did his best to keep from biting his lip. Lucius cocked an eyebrow but nodded, quietly excusing himself. He and Draco walked out of the dining hall, leaving Harry with Blaise.

"I think he's going to tell Luc about your relationship," Harry said. Blaise smiled and nodded.

"It's for the best if he does. If he walked in on us like you did, I doubt he'd take it kindly," he said. Harry swallowed nervously and asked a question that had been bugging him.

"Have you guys… gone farther than what I saw?" he asked, staring at the tabletop.

"Of course," Blaise chuckled. "We've been all the way. We've been together secretly since third year." Harry had to stare at Blaise in amazement at that. "He's so enchanting. His body moves with such grace whenever he's beneath my body… Despite his nature, he's actually a bottom." Blaise giggled.

"That was… a lot more than I needed to know," Harry said. "Thing is, I kind of want to ask Luc if he'll have sex with me. I don't know what it feels like, and I don't want it to be a total surprise, what happens… Could you just tell me what happens with you and Draco? I went out secretly with Seamus for a little while, but we never got past hand jobs. I just didn't feel right giving him anything else." He blushed fiercely, fully expecting a no.

"Well, we usually start with kissing. Then, I get my tongue involved and things start getting heated up. We take each others' clothes off slowly if we're feeling especially sensual and not just an animalistic desire, but if we're only thinking of getting to sex, we'll just rip clothes off. After the clothes are off, I kiss my way from Dray's mouth to his stomach, and then down from there… You get where that one goes, right? Basically, I give him oral, but not enough to make him come. Then, I turn him on his stomach and use a charm to prepare him," Blaise said dreamily, obviously having vivid daydreams. "You do know how men have sex, right?"

"I'm not that stupid, Blaise. I'm aware of how it happens," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Alright. Anyways, I use the spells, I use my fingers to get him ready, and then I enter him, and it's like being on cloud nine. You'll know your one if it feels like heaven every time you have sex," Blaise sighed happily.

"It's really that amazing…" Harry mused quietly.

"It definitely helps if your partner is lithe, and just naturally knows what to do. Dray must have been told by his father how it works or something, because he was amazing the first time we made love," Blaise said with a smile.

"Well, I think it'll be my Christmas present to Luc," Harry said. "I had some dreams where he had sex with me, but things are different in real life and dreams."

"Dray did that for Christmas of our fifth year," Blaise recounted with a smile. No further conversation passed between the two for a while.

"I'm dreading going back to school. It means I'll be parted from Lucius," Harry said sadly.

"Things are very different for Draco and I than for you and his dad, so I honestly don't know what you're feeling. However, I do know the feeling of being separated from the person you love," Blaise said softly. He looked towards the door and his expression became a concerned one. He turned back to Harry and began a conversation about school life and work, with Harry vehemently ranting about Snape when the subject came up. Blaise snorted, and let Harry finish his rant.

"I've personally never had any problems with him, but that's because I'm a Slytherin," he laughed. He suddenly sat up straight and stopped laughing, but looked incredibly nervous instead. Harry looked to the doorway. Draco and Lucius had returned, neither of them saying a word. Lucius looked from Blaise to Draco, whose eyes had locked. There seemed to be an unsaid conversation going on.

"Mr. Zabini, if you harm my son in any way, I'll make sure whatever you've done is done threefold to you," Lucius said seriously. Blaise's eyes widened as he looked disbelievingly to Draco. Draco smiled and nodded, and Blaise got up, picked up Draco, and kissed him soundly. Harry coughed loudly, sounding rather like "bedroom." Blaise winked at Harry, and Harry smiled as Draco and Blaise went off to make unabashed love for once. They finally had a place where they could be free.

"Luc, you knew that they were together, didn't you?" Harry asked as Lucius sat down in the seat next to him. Lucius smiled and nodded.

"I did. It was evident in the way they looked at each other. I'd rather him be happy at this point, because my family line is dying off already. It's for the best if we didn't try to salvage it and risk Draco's mental health," he said. He pulled Harry on to his lap. "But I've had my heir, and I can love whomever I please, whether or not Draco approves," he purred, kissing the back of Harry's neck. Harry shivered slightly, turning to face Lucius. He kissed the blonde's lips, parting his lips as he felt Lucius' tongue on his lower lip. He gasped as Lucius bit down on his lip, but the feeling was not one he disliked. In fact, he enjoyed it.

Lucius pulled Harry closer to him and moved his mouth down to his neck and collarbone. Harry entwined his fingers in the long blonde hair. Lucius' hand made its way down to Harry's groin. Harry pulled away.

"I don't think I'm quite ready to go all the way. Not yet," Harry said softly. Lucius sighed, but pulled his hand away.

"Thank you, Luc," he whispered. "It just doesn't seem like the right time or place."

"I understand, Harry. It's becoming difficult to restrain myself, though. Realize that before we get caught in a moment and go farther than you want to," Lucius said. "But I do love you enough to hold myself back to the best of my ability."

"I know. It's just… I've never gone all the way with anyone, and I want it to feel completely right," Harry responded, blushing a little.

Lucius snorted softly. "I honestly did not expect you to be a virgin."

"Do you really think I'm that much of a slut?" Harry asked indignantly. "Just because a lot of people fawn over me doesn't mean I sleep with them all!"

Lucius laughed and kissed Harry's cheek. "I know you're not a slut. I just thought that you'd been in a lasting relationship before. And had gone all the way."

"Well, I haven't. I want to wait until I know I absolutely love the person. I know that I love you, but I don't want our relationship to be only about sex. That's one of my fears: a relationship that ends up being solely about physicality, and not about love," Harry admitted.

Lucius took Harry's hand and kissed it lightly. "I want this to be about love, too."

Harry stood up and Lucius followed suit. Their hands remained firmly linked as they walked to Lucius' bedroom. Christmas was the next day, and Harry knew that he needed rest before he could give Lucius his present.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

A/N: Hey guys, I'm so sorry that this took a while! Things got chaotic with school and whatnot, but now I'm on spring break, so hopefully I get more posted. I have to work on my World Lit papers and my I.B. Oral, so it might not even be that much.

And review! I adore reviews. I'm also sad that no one understood my Lain Coulbert reference. Leave reviews and make the author happy! ^___^


	9. Chapter 9

Harry awoke to an empty bed. He sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Luc?" he asked the room, as if expecting it to respond. He stretched, slowly standing up and getting dressed. As he wasn't worried about looking sexy until later, he picked a loose fitting (well, considering everything had been Dudley's, it was all loose fitting, except for a select few things Seamus had bought him) shirt and a better-fitting pair of jeans. He made his way into what he had assumed was the sitting room, where he found Draco and Blaise cuddling on an armchair. Lucius sat across from them, reading something or other. Harry walked over to Lucius and kissed his cheek. Lucius smiled.

"Merry Christmas," Lucius said, putting down his book. He pulled Harry into his lap, kissing him gently on the mouth. Harry smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Luc," he said, leaning his head on Lucius' shoulder. He gazed briefly over at Draco and Blaise, and chuckled when he saw Draco sleeping, and Blaise close to it. He was reasonably sure that neither of them had slept last night, but he didn't intend to state that out loud. It was understood by both Harry and Lucius already.

Lucius pulled out a small, wrapped package from his pocket. It was, of course, wrapped in green and silver. Harry smiled and opened it slowly. When he had the wrapping off, and opened the box, he gasped. A pendant was in the box, an expertly made white gold phoenix entwined with a silver snake. The only unusual thing about the animals was that the phoenix's eyes were inlaid emeralds, and the snake's eyes were rubies. It was as if the animals had given a part of themselves to each other. After staring at it for a moment, Harry realized, with a jolt, that the snake actually moved, weaving itself in and out. The phoenix moved its wings to accommodate its snake partner. Harry looked at Lucius, absolutely awed by the beauty of the pendant. He fastened the clasp around his neck.

"It's absolutely beautiful. How did you find something like this?" Harry asked.

"Harry, I am a member of one of the oldest, most influential families in the Wizarding World. It was originally not for sale, but after some negotiating, I convinced the shop owner to sell it to me," Lucius said with a smile.

"Now I feel idiotic. Your present has to come later, and I didn't spend nearly as much money on it as you seem to have," Harry said, pouting. He had, in fact, received some very alluring gifts as a joke from George last year, and spent some money on makeup to really look the part. He was planning on sending Lucius an owl, telling him that his gift would be waiting for him at exactly nine p.m. He needed time to get ready after dinner, after all.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Why later?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"It's actually not quite finished. It needs some touches," Harry admitted, smiling sheepishly. Lucius laughed.

"Well, you haven't had much time, have you? I've been keeping you to me most of the time," Lucius said, lightly biting Harry's ear. Harry sighed in pleasure, weaving his fingers in Lucius' hair.

"No, I haven't had much time," Harry said breathily. "Give me time after dinner. It'll take me about an hour."

"I will. I have a few letters to respond to from the Minister," Lucius said with a small sigh. Soon it would be time to return to the world of work, and Harry would have to return to school. However, they had New Year's together, and Lucius fervently hoped they would be able to see each other on Hogsmeade trips after that.

"I'm going to miss you when I go back to school," Harry said softly, kissing Lucius' neck. Lucius stroked Harry's hair.

"I'm going to visit you on Hogsmeade weekends, you know. It won't be as bad as it would have been, then. But I'll miss you," Lucius admitted. Harry grinned.

"Merry Christmas, Harry!" came a sleepy voice from across the room. Harry looked over to see Blaise half-awake with Draco still curled up, fast asleep, on his lap. Lucius chuckled.

"It seems that Draco and I both enjoy armchairs with our lovers," Lucius said. Blaise smiled as he began to wake up more completely.

"I don't object," Harry said, and Blaise nodded his agreement. Harry looked over at Blaise and smirked. "Sleep well?"

Blaise blushed and made no reply.

"I'd really rather not know what my son is doing at night, thank you," Lucius said curtly, causing both Harry and Blaise to snigger. "Harry, I have something I'd like you to see, if you would get off of my lap and accompany me…" Harry stood up and stretched out.

"Alright, just give me a second," he said as he walked over to Blaise and Draco and wrapped his arms around the two of them. "Merry Christmas. Tell blondie when he wakes up." Blaise laughed and agreed.

"Blondie?" Lucius asked with a raised eyebrow. Harry chuckled as he and Lucius walked out of the room.

"Well, Ron calls him ferret, and Draco calls Ron weasel, but now that I'm friends with him, I might as well just call him blondie," Harry said with a shrug. Lucius' lips quirked up into a small smile.

"I would prefer if you did not call my son 'ferret,'" he said. Then, he looked at Harry. "Harry, if we keep this up, and it gets to the point where I want to propose to you, would you be uncomfortable with the idea of having Draco as a stepson?"

"I think it would be awkward at first, but I really only ever want him to call me a friend, rather than 'dad' or anything. I think it would be more awkward for him than for me, actually," Harry mused. He followed Lucius to a sunroom, where the glass was enchanted to repel the falling snow. He looked around in wonder. It was like being outdoors, in an environment where the sun always shone. There was a pagoda with benches around the edges; a small lake (too large to be called a pond) with a bridge that stretched over it, and green grass in the dead of winter. Snowflakes fell to just above their heads, and disappeared, much like the Great Hall. Lucius smiled at Harry's childlike expression of wonder and awe.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Lucius asked softly, leaning down to kiss Harry's forehead.

"It is," Harry agreed. "Sometimes, it still amazes me, what magic can really do." At a snort from Lucius, Harry felt the need to clarify. "I was raised by Muggles, Luc. I didn't grow up seeing the effects of magic. I didn't even know I was a wizard until Hagrid nearly destroyed the cottage I was staying in on a little island because my aunt and uncle were determined to keep that from me." Harry chuckled. "Before that, though, I ended up on the roof of my school, turned my teacher's wig blue, grew my hair back in a single night, and shrunk a sweater to finger puppet size. And the crowning glory: at my cousin's birthday trip to the zoo, I was talking to a boa constrictor, and when my cousin came up and shoved me out of the way, I made the glass disappear and set loose the snake." Lucius simply stared as Harry laughed.

"You… were talking to the snake?" he asked, incredulous.

"Didn't Draco ever mention I was a Parselmouth? I'm surprised he didn't lament about it after I told the snake he conjured up during the dueling club in second year to back off of Justin Finch-Fletchley," Harry said, recounting the memory with a slight grimace. Everyone had been convinced he was the heir of Slytherin at that point.

"He may have mentioned it once or twice," Lucius said, thinking back. At that point, he had probably been more concerned with figuring out where Dobby had been going. Now, he was thankful that elf had snuck off. If he hadn't, there would be no Harry Potter, and his son would most likely be dead.

"It's of no importance now, Luc. I lost the ability to speak Parseltongue when Voldemort cast his Killing Curse on me. I was a horcrux. It means that I had part of Voldemort's soul in me. That diary you gave Ginny Weasley second year? It was another horcrux, which is why he was so angry when he found out you lost it," Harry said, rubbing his scar. "I'll bet you didn't know that because of his soul, I could see through his eyes when he was especially angry. That link is why Sirius died. He planted a false image in my mind, and that's why everything happened in the Department of Mysteries." Tears began pricking at the corners of Harry's eyes. Even three years later, it still hurt him that he was responsible for his godfather's death. "I think he didn't bother to close that pathway because he knew the amount of pain it caused me whenever he felt the anger. I felt like my head would split. It saved people that were close to me, but it killed my godfather, and I know that Remus loved him too, in the way that we love each other." At this point, Harry let the tears flow down his face. Lucius wrapped his arms around Harry and kissed the trails that the tears left, savoring the salty taste.

"I didn't know any of that. The Dark Lord never confided in any of us, except perhaps Severus," Lucius said softly. "Don't force yourself to feel what you can't feel naturally. I understand your sorrow and pain. I love you, and I don't want to see you in that much pain. But for now, just let the emotions flow."

Harry leaned into Lucius' chest, the tears streaming. Finally, after a few minutes, the tears stopped, and he pulled away from Lucius.

"Thank you," Harry whispered, leaning up and catching Lucius' mouth in an innocent kiss, salty from Harry's tears.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Dinner was a congenial affair; Christmas dinner usually was, no matter the occasion. Even Harry and Hermione's meager Christmas had been a good one while they were on the run. Blaise and Draco, when they were openly affectionate, were actually quite amusing. Draco's snarky attitude coupled with Blaise's joking attitude made for playful bickering that often got even Lucius laughing.

Now, Harry was in the luxurious bathroom of his and Lucius' room, nervously preparing for his gift to Lucius. He'd managed to purchase some makeup: silver body glitter, black eyeliner, a little bit of emerald shadow, and mascara. Having grown up with muggles, he'd constantly been cleaning while his aunt applied her makeup and learned from watching her. He also knew, from seeing the other students at Hogwarts, that too much makeup was just unattractive.

Harry carefully brushed on the emerald shadow, coating his eyelids in the powder. After carefully lining his eyes in the pencil, he applied mascara to his eyelashes, giving his eyes the appearance of being much more heavily-lidded, and his lashes curtained his eyes, giving him a sultry, smoky appearance. For a final touch, he brushed on the silver glitter over his eyelids, up to his eyebrows, and to a point just past where his eyebrows ended, and then under his eyes. He admired his face in the mirror, smirking at his own attractiveness. He stripped off his T-shirt and jeans, and even his boxers. He had other things to wear.

One of the things George had sent him as a joke was a pair of black leather hot pants. He slipped them on, chuckling as he did so. Lucius would certainly get an eyeful. The other thing George had sent was a long, fur-collared trench coat. He fastened the silver buckles across his torso, and grinned at his appearance. It wasn't clear what he wore underneath the coat at all. He looked at the muggle watch he had just taken off, and bit his lip. Only five minutes until Lucius was supposed to come and get his present. He fully intended to tease Lucius, and not even let him see his face until he decided the time was appropriate. He walked out and stood at the foot of the bed, facing away from the door. At the sound of the bedroom door opening, he smiled inwardly.

"Well, that's different," Lucius said, taking in the trench coat.

Without turning, Harry said, "It is. It took me a while to figure out what to get you. First I thought perhaps jewelry, but then I thought, it would probably get lost, or fade, or break. Then, I thought clothes, but appearances change. It was then that I thought that this present would be better." He slowly turned around and unbuckled the top buckle, the one that strapped right over his nipples.

Lucius gaped, mouth open, at his lover. As he took in the coat, Harry unbuckled the second of four buckles. Harry took Lucius' hand and pulled him to the bed, his eyes half closed, lips slightly parted. He looked the part of the tempter. Lucius pulled his top layer of clothing (his coat) off, and let Harry push him down on his back. Harry slowly, tantalizingly, undid the last two buckles, opening the cloak, and smirking as Lucius drank in his appearance. He took the cloak off and straddled Lucius, the pendant he had received hanging down and resting on Lucius' chest. The snake and phoenix, much to both Harry and Lucius' amusement, had turned to more lewd entwining. Harry unbuttoned Lucius' vest and shirt and kissed down Lucius' chest, along his sternum, and down to his belly button. Lucius pulled his shirt and vest off entirely, and Harry kissed one of Lucius' nipples, biting lightly. The blonde's back arched as Harry bit down harder. Harry's hand trailed down to Lucius' crotch, where he felt the older man's erection. Harry grinned and slowly undid Lucius' pants. He snorted in laughter at the fact that Lucius wore no underwear; somehow, it seemed to fit Lucius' seductive nature.

Harry moved downwards. He smiled as he licked the length of Lucius' erection, swirling his tongue around the slit at the tip. He took the whole of the tip into his mouth, his tongue flicking along the length as he moved downwards, accommodating most of Lucius into his mouth. Lucius moaned, thrusting up into Harry's mouth. Harry scraped his teeth lightly along Lucius' cock, smirking as he heard Lucius growl in both pain and pleasure. Harry continued his ministrations with his mouth, adding in a hand on Lucius' balls, massaging them, gently at first, but harder and harder, as his pace increased. Harry felt a sense of satisfaction as Lucius came with a groan. He swallowed, looking up at Lucius through his heavily made-up eyes. Harry smiled and pulled Lucius' pants off entirely. Lucius sat up and pulled Harry forward into a passionate kiss. Lucius bit Harry's lower lip, drawing blood. Harry moaned, enjoying the pain. Harry drew in breath sharply as Lucius' hand intruded into his hot pants, caressing his ass. He leaned into Lucius' hand, slipping off the last bit of clothing he wore.

Harry's eyes widened in shock as Lucius' finger entered him. He leaned back into Lucius' hand, throwing his head back as Lucius slipped in a second finger. He felt no pain; Lucius must have cast a silent preparation charm, like Blaise had been talking about. Lucius' fingers scissored inside him, causing Harry to shudder.

"Lucius…. I want you inside of me," Harry gasped, bucking his hips forward. Lucius turned Harry onto his back. He hovered over the raven-haired boy, and spread his legs.

"Are you sure you want this, Harry?" Lucius asked softly. Harry nodded.

"Please!" he cried. Lucius smiled a rather feral smile as he nudged Harry's hole, pushing the tip in. Harry's back arched as he pushed farther in. "Oh God, Lucius…"

"You're so tight," Lucius moaned, obviously in immense pleasure. Lucius began a steady pace, thrusting slowly, but gradually speeding up and getting rougher as Harry came, crying out Lucius' name. Lucius came closely after, pulling out of Harry and licking the white fluid off of the boy's chest.

Harry fell back on the bed, exhausted, but completely satisfied. Lucius wrapped his arms around Harry, softly stroking his hair. Harry smiled. He must look a mess, a sweaty mess with makeup smeared down his face from the sweat. Lucius smiled back at him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you Harry," Lucius said softly, pulling the blanket over their lower bodies.

"I love you so much, Lucius. Don't ever forget that," Harry murmured, kissing Lucius' mouth gently.

"I love you too," Lucius assured him, truly feeling more whole than he ever had. He and Harry fell asleep, sated by their passions.

The animals on Harry's pendant were at rest now, the snake curled in the phoenix's wings, mirroring the way that Lucius laid with Harry, the blond hair spilling over the pale chest, arms wrapped around each other.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

A/N- Long chapter! Yay!

AND SMUT! I finally got around to this scene… I was initially going to split it into two chapters here, but then I realized I would take forever to write the sex if I put it in another chapter. Now it's done for now! TT u TT

Please, please, please review! And I really will love anyone that wants to draw Harry in all his seductive glory…. –hint hint wink wink- Haha. :3

Anyways, hope this was good for all you smut fans.

-Amy Ehren


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**: I'm soooooo sorry I didn't update before this! . It's a kind of complicated story behind the reason, but I'll make it up to you. **I'M SORRY MY LOVELIES!**

Lucius was the first to wake in the morning, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked down at Harry, who was bathed in the golden light of morning. His eyes wandered over the half-covered body and gasped when his eyes crossed over Harry's right shoulder. A white mark rested there, snake coiled into an infinity symbol. He lightly brushed his fingers over it, amazed, his jaw dropping as it glowed under his touch. He sat, frozen, until Harry turned his head in his sleep.

He chuckled softly, wordlessly (and wandlessly) removing Harry's smeared make-up. The younger man did not stir from his peaceful sleep. Lucius simply looked at Harry, smiling to himself as he watched his lover. He leaned down and kissed the dark hair, gently stirring Harry from his sleep with kisses to his cheeks, forehead, neck, and finally, lips. Mumbling an unintelligible greeting, Harry stretched, groaning at the pops his shoulders and spine made. And God was his ass sore.

"Are you alright?" Lucius asked in response to a grimace as Harry moved.

"I'm so sore, Luc. I feel like my ass is going to up and fall off," he admitted. He suddenly remembered the make-up. "God, I must look like a raccoon," he moaned, trying not to rub his eyes.

"I used magic to take it off, love," Lucius said, laying back down next to Harry and wrapping his arms around the slender young man. He wasn't a boy anymore, Lucius had realized that day when he kissed him for the first time, that rough kiss that left both wanting more. He had never truly been a boy, forced to grow up beyond his years. Hearing Harry's admittance of his home situation and his grief over his godfather had made Lucius realize that the boy never really had a chance to be a child.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked softly. Lucius didn't realize that Harry had turned his head towards Lucius and he'd been staring directly into Harry's eyes with a troubled expression for a few minutes now.

"I was just thinking," Lucius admitted with an apologetic laugh, "that you never really had a chance to be a child. From what you've told me, you grew up before your time."

"I guess," Harry grudgingly agreed. He turned to completely face Lucius, burying his head into the blond's chest. Lucius began to stroke Harry's dark hair, reveling in its silky quality. No further words passed between them for a few minutes until Harry looked up into the grey eyes that gazed down at him with affection and a bit of regret.

"Are… you regretting last night?" Harry asked. Lucius' expression worried him. The blond hugged Harry tightly to him.

"Of course not. I just wish that I could give you a chance to be a child again," Lucius sighed. "I would never take back last night. It was the most amazing night I've had in a very long time. But realize that you are mine now. Even if you feel your affection starting to wander, I won't give you up. When we had sex, you were marked. No one but myself and possibly Draco will be able to see the mark. You are mine," Lucius said fiercely.

"Where is this 'mark?'" Harry asked, intrigued by the concept that he'd been marked. Lucius tapped the younger man's right shoulder, just above the collarbone. Harry gasped as he felt a warmth spread through his body from that point. A shape he couldn't quite make out glowed and faded.

"There's the mark. Not even Narcissa had the mark. If Draco and Blaise are… well… Blaise will have the mark," Lucius said. Harry sensed Lucius wasn't telling him everything.

"What aren't you telling me?" Harry asked, a little wary of what may come.

Lucius took a deep breath. "A—" He was interrupted by a loud cracking sound, and turned towards the door to the bedroom. Harry blushed fiercely and pulled the covers over their upper bodies, just to cover most of his chest. A slight fear filled him, and Lucius' face hardened.

"Haven't you heard of knocking when you enter someone else's house?" Lucius asked the blond woman storming over to the bed.

"This is my house as much as it is yours!" Narcissa screeched. If she had been a cat, her claws would have come out, Harry thought. Suddenly, an idea struck him. His face drained of blood. She was going to hurt Lucius. Without understanding how or why, he put up a silent, powerful _Protego_ around the bed. Narcissa shrieked angrily, her face contorting into the ugliest expression Harry had ever seen.

Lucius glanced at Harry, surprised. He turned back to Narcissa, smirking triumphantly. "I believe not, bitch. The house belongs to me, as stated in our divorce papers, had you bothered to read them, and now to my beloved. Look at his shoulder. You'll see my mark there. You never had my mark. You were never my mate. Harry, however, is. If you knew anything about magic, you bint, you would understand that anything of mine that was ever yours now goes to my mate. Now get the fuck out of my and Harry's house," Lucius growled.

Through the whole speech, Harry had been listening, amazed, until Lucius said that he was his mate. He stared at Lucius, trying to understand everything. He was so involved with Lucius that he didn't realize his shield had faltered. With an angry cackle, Narcissa swooped down and wrapped her manicured hand around Harry's neck. The slightly pointed nails dug into his skin as she crushed his windpipe. Lucius grabbed her shoulders and pulled her off. Her nails left valleys in Harry's flesh. Upon the sight of a trickle of blood on Harry's neck, Lucius flew into a complete rage. With strength born of pure anger, Lucius threw Narcissa against the nearest wall, watching with satisfaction as she crumpled to the ground. With a groan, she began to move, and Lucius picked up his wand. He pointed it at Narcissa's head.

"Avada Kedavra," he spat. There was a jet of green light and she stilled. Lucius, calming slowly, turned back to Harry, who had a stunned and slightly repulsed expression on his face.

"You... killed her," Harry said, dumbstruck. He grimaced at the dead body. "She saved my life, you know. When Voldemort thought he killed me, it was she that saved me." Harry's voice was quiet. Lucius placed one hand on Harry's.

"She was going to kill you. I will NOT lose you!" Lucius cried, holding Harry to him and letting a few tears fall. "I never believed I would find my mate. But I found you. I will not let you get away from me."

"This is a lot for me to take in. I adore you and I'm getting close to loving you, but this is too much for me to handle," Harry sighed, holding his head in his hands.

"I hadn't even dreamed that anyone would be my mate," Lucius said softly, lacing his fingers with Harry's. "Please don't reject me. We can't survive without each other now that we've been marked. Please, Harry. I know that a lot just happened, but I'll explain everything in time." Lucius' eyes were pleading. Harry sighed.

"I won't leave you, Luc. I'm confused and a little upset, but I won't leave you," Harry said after a pause. "But I want to know soon."

"I'll explain what I can now," Lucius said. "But I think we should get dressed and inform Draco that his mother has died." Harry nodded, and stood, walking to the bathroom.

"Come shower with me," Harry said, more of a command than an offer. Lucius stood and nearly ran to catch up with Harry.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Showered and much happier, Harry and Lucius made their way to the dining room. Draco and Blaise were seated side by side, clutching mugs of hot chocolate, with Draco's head on Blaise's shoulder.

"Draco, did you love your mother?" Lucius asked, startling the two. Draco looked confused.

"I suppose I did. She wanted to protect me from danger," he said slowly, utterly unsure why he was being asked. "But she was also a bitch to so many people."

"Well, your mother is dead," Lucius said. "She tried to kill Harry, so I killed her." Lucius had almost no feeling in his voice towards his late wife.

Draco stared at his father. "You… killed her?" Harry nodded numbly. "Why would you kill her? You were married! Your had me!" Draco began to cry until Blaise took his hand and rubbed small circles soothingly.

"Draco, Harry is my mate. If Narcissa had killed him, I would have died," Lucius said softly. Draco's eyes widened and looked to Harry.

"Is that true?" he asked.

"Yes," Harry said, exposing his shoulder. Lucius tapped the skin, and Draco nearly fell over as the skin glowed.

"Holy fuck," Draco breathed. Blaise had to support the young blond.

"I'm sorry. It had to be done," Lucius said, and drew Draco into a fierce hug.

**A/N**: Alright. I'll keep updating as work allows me to. Again, I'm so sorry about not updating.

Maybe if readers would review, I would post things earlier… -coughcough-

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! ^.^

~Amy Ehren


	11. Chapter 11

Draco pulled away from his father's hug after a moment, and nearly threw himself into Blaise's embrace. Lucius sighed and took Harry's hand, gently kissing his knuckles. Harry cleared his throat quietly.

"Draco, I'm very sorry about your mother. If it had been up to me, I wouldn't have killed her," Harry said softly, trying to offer his condolences. Lucius turned to Harry, a bit shocked and confused.

"She would have killed you!" he exclaimed, staring at Harry as if he'd lost his mind.

"I'm aware of that, Lucius!" Harry replied, his anger building. "Should I have killed anyone who ever tried to kill me? If I followed that philosophy, you would be dead now! And I would have killed you!" Harry wrenched his hand from Lucius' and ran out of the room. Blaise watched, still cuddling Draco. He looked at Lucius and jerked his head with a look that clearly said _follow him!_ Lucius turned and ran after Harry. He called after the distraught raven-haired man, cursing his own stupidity.

"Harry! Please come talk to me! I'm sorry. I never thought of that. I only wanted to protect you. Please, Harry…" Lucius whispered the last part. He sank to his knees, slamming the back of his head against the wall of the hallway he had stopped in. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and he let them flow. There was no way Harry was coming back now. He'd managed to fuck things up royally. He'd finally found his mate, and now his mate would leave him forever. Lucius would be slowly consumed by loneliness unless Harry came back. It would eventually kill him.

"I'm sorry Harry," Lucius whispered, closing his eyes and holding his face in his hands, his heart aching.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry stood on the grounds of Malfoy Manor. He wouldn't leave. He would wait for an apology from Lucius. It wasn't his fault Lucius had decided to kill someone, namely his ex-wife, especially over something that Harry faced nearly daily. With a sigh, Harry realized that he may have been unnecessarily harsh. After all, who wouldn't want to protect his mate? In the middle of his though, Harry doubled over, pain spreading from his abdomen to his neck. It pinpointed at the mark on his shoulder, and Harry swore loudly. He collapsed on the ground, writhing as the pain lessened slightly. As his body grew used to the pain, Harry slowly stood up. The mark still burned. The rest was a dull throb.

A look of sudden realization crossed Harry's face. "Lucius," he whispered, running as fast as he could with the ache in his chest. He searched through the halls, nearly knocking over vases and running into walls as the pain increased and decreased. Finally, after exploring several halls at least twice, he came across Lucius. The man was curled up with his head on his knees, back against the wall. Harry fell to the ground beside Lucius. Lucius looked up, and Harry was surprised to see how red his eyes were. Harry took one of Lucius' hands and kissed it, making sure nearly every inch of his hand made contact with his lips. It wasn't until he tasted salt that Harry realized he had begun to weep as well.

"I'm so sorry Lucius," Harry murmured, hugging the blond to him. The pain dissipated from Harry's chest, and the mark no longer burned. "I never thought that maybe you did it out of love. I… I could feel your pain. The mark on my shoulder burned, and I could barely stand my chest hurt so much. I shouldn't have stormed off like that. I know you said I'm mature beyond my years, but I still behave like a child sometimes. I'm so sorry. I forgive you for killing her, and I hope you forgive me for leaving you like that." Tears had flowed freely from Harry's eyes, and he buried his head in Lucius' chest.

"I will always forgive you," Lucius assured Harry, his voice soft and dangerously close to breaking. "You are my mate. No matter what you or I do, we will always love each other. That mark is our emotional connection. It proves that we are bonded. By bonding, we contribute a piece of our soul to each other. Whichever feels the most overwhelming emotions will send a piece of whatever emotion they feel to the other, unless the two are together. I was so consumed with my grief for possibly losing you that the mark transferred my pain to you, rather than your anger to me. We won't feel each other through the mark unless we are apart. It's the highest form of connection. We won't be able to read each other's thoughts, but emotions are enough," Lucius explained, cuddling Harry to him. "If the emotions go untended long enough and the two do not rejoin, the pain of being apart will kill them. If one dies, the other will not necessarily die, but there will be an emptiness. The emptiness often drives the survivor to suicide. That's why I couldn't let Narcissa kill you. It would kill me. Not only because we are bonded, but because I think I love you," he said. Harry looked into Lucius' eyes and saw truth shining among the tears. Harry burst into tears again and held Lucius close. The emotion was overwhelming.

"I'm sorry again Lucius," Harry sobbed. "I didn't realize how much you mean to me until I saw you here, miserable. I think I might love you too." Harry looked back into Lucius' face. He closed his eyes and kissed Lucius tenderly, tasting the salt from the their mixed tears. The kiss stayed innocent, their lips connected as if their separation would cause their lives to end. Harry pulled away first, snuggling into Lucius' chest. Lucius stroked Harry's hair, closing his eyes, and enjoying the end of the emotional roller coaster as they both basked in their affection.

"You've made up?" The voice came from the end of the hall. Harry and Lucius looked towards the source. Blaise had come looking for them. "Draco asked me to give him some time on his own. I think he's just in shock. I know that if anyone threatened Draco, I'd kill them." Blaise winced, covering the space in the center of his breast with his hand. "Mr. Malfoy? I would like to ask you for the permission to marry Draco when we graduate. I'm his mate." Blaise pulled aside his shirt and touched the area he had clutched. A shape glowed and faded. Blaise bit his lip nervously. Lucius looked at Harry, who nodded.

"I will give my permission on one condition, Mr. Zabini. You and Draco must be responsible for informing the Parkinsons of the new developments. They will be less than thrilled, and I will step in when needed," Lucius said slowly, measuring carefully every word. "Now that I've seen your mark, I believe you. And I believe that Draco needs comforting if your pain is any indication." Blaise grinned.

"I already bought a ring. Honestly sir, even if you had said no, I would have proposed. I love him," Blaise admitted. "We've been together for five years now and I feel it's time to take it to another level." Lucius was surprised to hear how long they had been together, and how fabulously Draco had disguised it. He was proud of his son's ability to show only what he wanted to.

"Go make him happy," Harry said with a weak smile. His pain and sadness were still fading. "I think he truly loves you. But I don't know for sure. Draco and I weren't exactly that close." Lucius smiled at Harry and kissed the top of his head. His Harry was indeed mature beyond his years, though he did have a few childish moments.

Blaise nearly ran off to find Draco. Lucius chuckled. "I've found my happiness. It's time Draco found his."

"Don't ever leave me," Harry said, standing up. He had other ideas of what he wanted to do. He pulled Lucius to his feet and pressed their bodies together. Lucius smirked and turned to press Harry against the wall. He lowered his mouth onto Harry's, licking along the younger man's bottom lip. Without hesitation, Harry parted his lips and let Lucius dart his tongue into the hot cavern of Harry's mouth. Their tongues melted together as Lucius' hands roamed down Harry's body. Pulling away for breath, Lucius smirked at Harry's flushed face.

"Let's take this to your bedroom," Lucius purred, Apparating them to the foot of Harry's bed. Narcissa's body was still in Lucius' bedroom, but she could wait. Oh yes, she could definitely wait.

Lucius pushed Harry back onto the bed, kissing the smaller man's neck, occasionally biting the sensitive skin. Harry moaned, feeling his trousers becoming unnaturally tight around the groin. Lucius smirked, feeling his own erection growing. He licked the skin after biting it, drawing a mewling noise from Harry as he continued his ministrations. Harry laced his fingers through Lucius' long hair and pulled his hair lightly. Lucius grinned and stroked Harry's chest. Harry's back arched off the mattress at Lucius' expert touch. Lucius unbuttoned Harry's shirt and took one nipple between his teeth.

"God Lucius, get on with it," Harry moaned, trying to push the blond between his legs. Lucius chuckled.

"Patience, love," he responded, licking from Harry's navel to his sternum. Harry nearly thought he would come right then. Lucius' tongue was so sensual and he was so turned on that he thought he was going to explode. With agonizing slowness, Lucius completely removed Harry's shirt and undid the fly to Harry's pants. He took the tip of Harry's length into his mouth through the fabric of his boxers. The fabric was already wet with precum. Harry thrust up into Lucius' mouth, ready to come. Lucius suddenly removed his mouth and Harry nearly cried. Lucius slid Harry's pants and boxers off entirely with a sensual slowness and took the whole of Harry's cock into his mouth.

"YES!" Harry screamed triumphantly, having waited so long for Lucius to get past his clothes and to making him come. Lucius' tongue expertly maneuvered around the tip, rubbing the slit lightly, then applying pressure down the length.

"I'm gonna… I'm…" Harry couldn't finish his sentence around the moan that consumed him as he convulsed in one of the most powerful orgasms he'd ever had. Lucius swallowed every drop of Harry's come, making the younger man nearly tremble as Lucius licked the fluid off of him.

Harry crawled forward, pulling off Lucius' poet's shirt, and kissing the man's ribcage. He moved his mouth to Lucius' collarbone and sucked the flesh there, causing Lucius to moan softly. Harry rubbed his hands all over Lucius' upper body, occasionally tweaking a nipple. Lucius pressed his groin into Harry's body, and the boy smirked.

"Patience, love," he said, mimicking Lucius' previous statement. Harry rubbed Lucius' thighs through his pants, occasionally grabbing his ass and pushing their bodies together. Getting off the bed, Harry turned Lucius around and had him sit on the edge of the bed. He pulled Lucius' fitted pants off and smirked when Lucius nearly sighed as his trapped erection was freed.

Harry placed his mouth at the tip of Lucius' length and tantalizingly slid his mouth over the end. He slowly engulfed the whole, speeding up his pace as he lightly grazed the length with his teeth. Lucius hissed, thrusting up into Harry's mouth. Their speeds matched, and after only a few more thrusts, Lucius released his seed into Harry's mouth. Harry followed Lucius' example and swallowed everything, leaning forward to kiss Lucius.

The kiss was highly sensual to Lucius, tasting himself inside Harry's mouth. As they kissed, Harry leaned forward to push Lucius down. A bit surprised, Lucius broke the kiss. With his hands, Harry coaxed Lucius' cock back to life. Harry leaned down to whisper in Lucius' ear.

"Cast a preparation charm on me." Harry grinned devilishly as he felt the charm work. He straddled Lucius' legs, lowering himself onto the older man. He threw his head back in pleasure of feeling Lucius in an entirely different way than he had the previous night. After taking a moment to get used to the feeling, Harry began to move himself up and down. Lucius was taken by the sight of Harry dominating him like that. He groaned and began to thrust upwards in time with Harry's rhythm. After what seemed like a strangely short time, Lucius shot his come into Harry, and Harry, so amazed by the difference from the previous night, came from the sensation. Harry slowly removed himself from Lucius and cast a cleaning charm over the both of them. Lucius looked a little shell-shocked.

"I'm sorry. Was that a bit much?" Harry asked, biting his lip nervously. Lucius drew Harry to him, holding the raven-haired beauty close.

"God, that was amazing," Lucius purred, content to just hold him and stroke Harry's hair until they both fell asleep.

**A/N**: See? I got an update out very quickly! Don't worry, there will be more to come. (: I just knew what I wanted to write for this and I had both of my free periods today, so I had the time on top of it.

Please review, my lovelies! It makes me very, very, very happy and inspires me to update sooner.

Oh, by the way, my inspiration for the mark came from Keikokin's "What's Wrong Mr. Potter?" I made it my own, though. But the inspiration for Harry having Lucius' mark came from that story. I recommend reading ANY of Keikokin's Lucius/Harry fics. They are wonderful.

Hope you enjoyed!

~Amy Ehren


	12. Chapter 12

Harry awoke on cold stone floor. He was alone. Standing up in the darkened room, he took out his wand and cautiously cast _Lumos_ to show him his surroundings. He nearly screamed. Not even facing Voldemort could have prepared him for this. The mangled body of Lucius Malfoy was hung against one wall. Next to him was written, in Lucius' blood, _YOU'RE NEXT, POTTER._ Harry looked around wildly, searching for any sign of an entrance. He could find none. Turning away from Lucius' bloody corpse, he sank to the ground. Who had done this to his Lucius? Why was he here? Voldemort was dead, so he had no reason to be afraid that this was the Dark Lord's doing. Someone else was out for something. Fun? Revenge? Random attack? No, it couldn't be random. It was someone who knew that Lucius and Harry were lovers, and perhaps even knew that they were bonded. The blood drained from Harry's face. What if Narcissa had managed to somehow return to life? It would make sense that this was at least partially her fault. She knew, and she had the most motivation to kill them.

"Potter."

Harry whipped around and found himself facing a very angry Draco Malfoy. Harry knew he would be angry at the two of them, but he never imagined that it would have been to this extent. Draco had his wand pointed directly at Harry's throat.

"Remember that spell you used on me in sixth year? Well I still have the scars. I made it a point to learn that spell to eventually use on you, and now I have the perfect excuse. You and my father killed my mother," Draco spat. Blaise walked up beside Draco. He put his arm around Draco's waist.

"By Wizarding Law, he can kill both you and Lucius in vengeance and he would, at most, get off with a warning," Blaise purred, licking the shell of Draco's ear. With a flick of his wand, Draco bound Harry, forcing him to stand rigid. When he began to teeter, Draco flicked his wand again and Harry balanced on his feet.

"I told you I never wanted to kill your mother! Lucius was in a protective rage! Lucius and I had a fight afterwards, and I'm sorry!" Harry tried to reason with Draco, but the blond pointed his wand at Harry's lips and thread appeared, sewing Harry's lips together. If his mouth hadn't been closing, he would have screamed in pain. Blood oozed from each of the holes where the thread went through his lips. Draco smirked and turned to Blaise.

"Let's have a bit of fun, shall we?" Draco asked with a demonic laugh. Harry's eyes widened in fear and he tried to scream as loud as he could with his mouth sewn closed.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Harry?"

Harry's eyes snapped open to see Lucius hovering over him, looking panicked. Harry let out a sigh of relief and nearly cried, hugging Lucius to him.

"You were screaming, love," Lucius said softly, stroking Harry's hair.

"I had a horrible nightmare," Harry admitted. "Is there any law that says that if a killing is done to avenge another death, the killer only gets off with a warning?" Harry was terrified that Draco was going to kill them. Lucius looked quizzically at his lover.

"No, of course not," Lucius said definitely, wondering where that idea could have come from. "Why would you think that?"

Harry described his dream, clutching Lucius to him for dear life. Lucius rubbed circles in Harry's back, trying to comfort him.

"I doubt Draco will try anything. We should talk to him though, just to make sure that he's alright. Hopefully Blaise's proposal will have cheered him up. However, before we do that, we have a body to dispose of," Lucius said. The last sentence didn't seem all that strange on his lips, but he was sure that it rang strangely in Harry's ears. Lucius was used to the dirty work from his time under Voldemort.

Harry sighed, reluctantly letting go of the blond. They took their time to stretch, standing up slowly. Harry took Lucius' hand and kissed him gently.

"I thought it was real. I don't want to feel the way I did yesterday when we were fighting ever again," Harry whispered. Lucius took Harry's face in both hands and looked him in the eyes.

"I will always be here when you need me. I would throw myself in front of any spell for you. It may take some work to get away from my Death Eater tendencies, but I am perfectly capable of protecting myself from my own son. There is an unwritten magic that if a son draws his wand on his father with intent to kill, the son's wand will deny its owner power. The same goes for a father with intent to kill his son. The only time the wand won't follow that magic is if either the father or the son has been physically abused by the other. I'm sure it sounds strange, but rest assured, I love my son. I have never abused him. I don't tolerate any abuse from Draco. We are under the laws of that magic," Lucius assured Harry, leaning in to kiss his forehead, followed by his lips.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Standing in Lucius' bedroom, Harry and Lucius looked warily down at Narcissa's body.

"How do we… get rid of it?" Harry asked cautiously, a little terrified by the dead woman. Her eyes still held a crazy gleam in them and Harry could feel the scratches on his neck when he looked at her hands.

"We could burn her. I doubt she deserves a funeral. However, we should preserve her ashes for Draco," Lucius observed quietly.

"That's an awfully Muggle way of taking care of her," Harry said, a tad surprised. "But it's efficient." Lucius nodded, drawing his wand. He pointed it at her and murmured a spell. Her body floated into the air and burst into flames. Her ashes were caught in an enchanted urn. As her body finished burning, the urn floated to the ground, landing with a soft thump. All this seemed to be done by the same spell.

"What spell was that?" Harry asked, strangely fascinated.

"It's a cremation spell. I learned it on my own when Voldemort began asking me to dispose of the bodies of his victims when no one else took care of them," Lucius said softly, wincing a little as he spoke. It seemed the memory was painful. Harry stroked the side of Lucius' face gently. "He made me clean up the deaths when I was only a few years older than you. It was hard for me. I used to go home and vomit after each 'job' he gave me. I didn't know any of them, so I shouldn't have cared. But I saw the expressions frozen on their faces, of fear and agony. Once, my father caught me crying and beat me. I learned to harden my heart. It couldn't affect me or I would receive another good beating. I know you thought I was insensitive and nearly unemotional. You're wrong. I feel everything. I just can't let it show. I've been trained to hide my reactions, so I struggle even now. Someday, you'll wake up covered in rose petals with love letters everywhere. That day, I'll show you all of my love. I'm really a romantic," Lucius admitted, a bit embarrassed. Harry smiled and kissed Lucius. It was more a sweet little peck than anything.

"What you've been doing has been wonderful," Harry said. "I've never been this happy in my life."

"I hate to break the moment, but we need to go talk to Draco now," Lucius said reluctantly, kissing the top of Harry's head and walking over and picking up the urn. Harry sighed and followed Lucius out of the room.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Luckily, Harry and Lucius had found Draco and Blaise in the living room, cuddled by the fire. Lucius cleared his throat loudly, and the couple turned to look at them. Draco's eyes were bright and happy, and Blaise couldn't keep the grin off his face.

"Blaise proposed!" Draco squealed, holding his hand out for Lucius and Harry to see. Harry bent closer to get a better look at the ring. He grinned at the simple silver band.

"Watch this," Blaise said excitedly. He tapped the band with his wand and golden letters appeared in a language Harry couldn't understand. Lucius understood the language and smiled.

"Vous êtes mon coeur et l'âme. Je vous aimerai toujours," Lucius said softly. "You are my heart and soul. I will love you forever. Not only is it an engagement band, but it's also a promise between Blaise and Draco. I want the wedding to be set for after graduation. Graduation will be stressful enough, and I don't think either of you need the stress of planning a wedding until after."

"Trust me. When Bill married Fleur, Mrs. Weasley went absolutely berserk. There was so much to do, it almost stopped Ron, Hermione, and I from hunting for Horcruxes. Too many things to do and too many people in the same place," Harry recalled with a slight laugh.

"Horcruxes?" Lucius asked, aghast. "That explains his ability to return from the dead," he mused. Draco and Blaise looked confused but let it go, turning their gaze on the urn in Lucius' hands.

"Is… is that…" Draco couldn't continue. Lucius nodded.

"I'll dispose of it if you wish. However, I also understand if you wish to keep them," Lucius said softly. Draco looked between Blaise, Harry, and Lucius. He bit his lip.

"I don't know… She would always send me things and was there for me when I really wanted her to be, but I know she wasn't a family woman. Actually, father? Could I scatter her ashes on the wind? I loved her, after all," Draco said, fixing his eyes on the urn.

"As you wish," Lucius said, placing the urn in Draco's hands.

"I'd like it to just be Blaise and I if you don't mind," Draco said, standing shakily. Lucius nodded his consent. Draco loved his mother; Lucius never loved Narcissa.

Draco and Blaise walked out, leaving Harry and Lucius looking after them.

"I think your dream is far from reality. He seems to have accepted it. We'll speak to him when he and Blaise returns," Lucius said. "I believe that I know Draco well, after having lived with him for nearly nineteen years."

Harry smiled and kissed Lucius, nearly betraying the hint of fear that still played within his mind.

**A/N**: Three chapters in two days? What is this? Oh wait, inspiration. And also making up for not updating for something close to seven months…

I hope you enjoy, and I would REALLY appreciate reviews. Even if they're just "Please update," seeing the review alert in my inbox makes me a very happy writer.

(:

Next part coming soon!

~Amy Ehren


	13. Chapter 13

Blaise and Draco stood in a far corner of the grounds, watching the ashes that still floated in the air around their heads. Tears cascaded down Draco's face. He had to let his mother go. He sank to the ground and Blaise sat beside him, holding the blond in his arms. He kissed the tear trails and Draco managed a weak smile.

"Are you angry at your father?" Blaise asked softly, stroking Draco's hair.

"A little. She was his ex-wife. She was my mother," Draco responded. "But she wasn't his mate. I know that if I ended up having to marry Pansy and I divorced her to be with you and she tried to kill you, I would kill her. It's a little disconcerting, having Potter be my father's mate." Draco sighed, sniffing as his tears stopped. "I guess I'll just get used to it. I refuse to call him 'Dad.'" Blaise laughed at Draco's stubbornness. Blaise kissed Draco's cheek.

"I don't think he's who you thought he was," Blaise said softly. He stood and helped Draco to his feet.

"He told my father and I what his home life was like," Draco admitted. "It wasn't at all what I'd told you. Apparently his aunt and uncle are horrible people who made him live in a cupboard." Blaise's eyebrows shot up. Draco nodded.

"If you're angry, make sure you tell me, okay?" Blaise said, more of a command than anything. "I love you, Draco. I proposed to you because I do and I don't want you to change because of these events." Draco smiled and snuggled into Blaise's chest. It would take him some time to get used to the idea that his mother wouldn't be there to spoil him anymore, but sometimes she was cold and aloof. There were times when she would disappear for days on end, no doubt with a lover. But she was still his mother. She and Lucius were supposed to be bound by a magical contract that was never supposed to be broken.

"Just give me some time to get used to it?" Draco said, hiding the sadness and anger that was beginning to surface.

"All right…" Blaise said, eyeing Draco carefully. "Let's go back inside, shall we?" Draco nodded and followed, leaving the urn as a memory to where his mother's memory would forever lie.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Lucius and Harry shared an armchair in the living room, Harry curled asleep on Lucius' lap. Lucius was slowly dozing off himself. Such was the scene that Draco and Blaise encountered when they returned to laze in front of the fire. When Draco re-entered the room, Harry suddenly awoke and turned to look at him.

"Father, I need to speak with you," Draco said, carefully keeping his voice calm and collected. Blaise looked at Draco, puzzled. Everything had seemed fine. Perhaps Draco just needed some time to talk to his father about everything that had happened. It would take him some time after all, and he didn't really have the whole story.

Harry got off of Lucius' lap slowly, biting his lip. Lucius stood and joined his son. Harry looked nervously between the two blonds, giving Lucius a look that said _be careful._ Lucius nodded and proceeded to exit the room, followed by his son. Harry turned to Blaise.

"Did… did Draco say he was angry?" Harry asked, pleading in his eyes. Blaise shook his head.

"He said he would just need some time to get past what happened. Why?" Blaise asked, his interest piqued.

Harry recounted his nightmare, shutting his eyes tightly when he recounted viewing Lucius' mangled body. By the end of his retelling, he had tears in his eyes that threatened to spill. Blaise looked at Harry with a sympathetic face.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about, Harry. Draco may be impatient and irritable sometimes, but he's not the kind of person who would do that," Blaise said softly, patting Harry's hand. "You saved him from the fiendfyre, remember? He told me about it. He owes you."

Suddenly, Harry doubled over and clutched his shoulder. The mark burned with anger. Blaise watched for a moment, then grasped his own mark as it in turn burned. Harry and Blaise looked at each other.

"They're angry with one another," Blaise gasped in between spikes in Draco's anger. Lucius' anger was steady, throbbing, but with an occasional burst of intense anger. Harry started screaming as Lucius' anger exploded. The mark felt as if it were actually lit on fire, and the pain spread from his shoulder to his feet. Suddenly, Blaise breathed deeply. His pain was starting to go away, replaced by fear. Blaise stumbled to his feet and ran out of the room, desperately searching for Draco and Lucius. He tried several doors unsuccessfully until he found them in Lucius' study. Lucius was livid, and Draco cowered under his father's yells. Blaise stumbled into the room, drawing their attention away from each other. He clutched his mark.

"Harry," Blaise gasped. "His mark is burning. He wouldn't stop screaming." Draco's face drained of blood as he clutched Blaise, holding him. Lucius ran out of his study, suddenly terrified.

Lucius burst into the living room to see Harry still writhing on the ground. It seemed the pain hadn't subsided. He swept Harry into his arms, holding him still. After what seemed like a very long time, Harry stopped moving, breathing heavily. His mark still ached. He smiled very weakly at Lucius and passed out.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Draco held Blaise in his arms, kissing his face as he attempted to soothe him. Blaise calmed down rather quickly, stroking Draco's face with one of his hands.

"Is everything alright?" Blaise asked softly. Draco nodded and held Blaise tight, ashamed to show Blaise that he had begun to cry. Blaise simply let himself be held, feeling the wetness of Draco's tears on the top of his head.

"I'm so sorry," Draco sobbed.

"It's not your fault. You were angry, and your father was angry, and Harry and I, with our marks, felt it. Is everything all right between you and Lucius?" Blaise asked.

Draco hiccupped amidst his response. "I don't know, Blaise. He was so angry with me, and I was angry with him. I don't know what's going to happen," Draco whispered. "I hope Harry's okay, but I'm more concerned that I hurt you." Blaise smiled, kissing Draco's cheek.

"It wasn't terrible," Blaise murmured. "I've felt worse." Draco laughed brokenly, just trying to get some of the tension out. He kissed Blaise, parting his lips when he felt Blaise's tongue dancing across his lower lip. Their tongues entwined for a few moments before they pulled apart. Blaise sighed.

"I don't think my body's up for much strain tonight," Blaise admitted, a bit embarrassed. Draco nodded.

"After what happened, I don't think I'm up for much of anything other than holding you in my arms," Draco agreed. "You know I love you."

"If you didn't, you wouldn't have agreed to marry me," Blaise responded. Draco blushed.

"Right," he said. "I love my ring. And I love the man who gave it to me even more." They simply stayed together, holding on to each other for support.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Lucius had carried Harry to his bedroom, gently putting him down on the bed. Tears threatened to spill from his normally cold eyes. He was terrified his Harry wouldn't wake up. His breathing was shallower than normal and nothing even caused him to twitch. Lucius exposed Harry's mark, running a finger over it. Harry's hand twitched. Lucius' eyes brightened with an idea. He leaned down and kissed it. It shone brightly, golden, rather than the usual silver. Lucius gasped as Harry's eyes fluttered open. Harry tried to raise his arm to touch Lucius, but found he couldn't. His muscles were weaker than normal.

"I was so afraid you weren't going to wake up," Lucius cried, gathering Harry in his arms. The tears that had threatened before now streamed down his cheeks, but in relief, rather than sorrow. When Harry tried to speak, Lucius put a finger to his lips. He kissed the raven-haired beauty's forehead, carefully cradling the smaller man.

"Rest," he said softly. "I'm sorry that I hurt you so badly. I was so angry with Draco. I didn't realize how angry I was until Blaise told me you wouldn't stop screaming." Lucius' voice broke. "I was terrified that I had killed you when you fainted in my arms. I would never have been able to live with myself and without you. The loneliness would have killed me. As I told you before, our bond would leave me partially empty, unable to fulfill it no matter what I did. God, Harry, I'm so sorry."

"Why were you so angry with each other?" Harry managed to say weakly. He rested his head against Lucius' chest, his neck unable to support the weight of his head. All of his muscles had very little strength. It was like his energy had been completely drained.

"Draco was very upset with me. He told me that I betrayed our family by killing Narcissa. It doesn't seem he's angry about you and I, but he's still struggling to grasp that his classmate and his father are bonded. He did pull out his wand, but I managed to get him to put it away. I couldn't keep him from getting angry and got angry myself. We were screaming at each other when Blaise stumbled in and told us about you. God, it would have been my fault if you had been killed by the pain," Lucius groaned, obviously very upset with himself.

"You needed to talk to him about it, though," Harry sighed. "What am I going to do when I go back to school?" Harry looked pleadingly into Lucius' eyes.

"I hate that old coot, but perhaps if we explained to Dumbledore that we are bonded, he'll allow us to share private rooms," Lucius said thoughtfully. The old coot seemed to know too much. Privately, Lucius thought the old man had issues and was too observant for his own mental stability. The man had far too much ease in Legilimency and no scruples about using it.

"Lucius?" Harry asked. "Since I can hardly move, will you kiss me?" Harry blushed fiercely. It was kind of an awkward question to ask, but he wanted to feel Lucius' lips on his. Lucius chuckled and nodded, leaning his head in to place an impassioned kiss on the younger man's lips. Lucius was surprised when he felt Harry's tongue on his lips. He immediately parted his lips to let Harry explore the inside of his mouth. He rather enjoyed his lover—no, that was wrong, his _soul mate_ taking the lead. Lucius laid Harry down while they continued the kiss, Harry's tongue melting into Lucius' as Lucius reclaimed the lead.

He undid Harry's shirt, kissing his neck gently. His mouth danced over the delicate skin, nibbling gently. When Harry had no reaction, he looked up quizzically. Harry blushed crimson.

"I don't quite know how to say it, but… As much as I'm enjoying this, I can't… um…" Harry stumbled over how to say what he meant to say, blushing a deep crimson. He looked meaningfully at his crotch. Lucius snorted in laughter. Harry made a noise that sounded suspiciously like _screw you_. Lucius began to laugh in earnest.

"I'm sorry," he chortled. "I should have realized your body wouldn't be up for it." Tears were streaming down his face. A lot of tension was being released in that laugh. Soon, Harry began to laugh as well. He could hardly move and the bouncing of his chest was slightly painful, but it felt good to laugh. The last few days had been filled with both wonderful things and horrible things, and this was one of the few genuine laughs Harry had experienced in a long time.

"If I'm feeling better in the morning, we can have some fun then," Harry said suggestively, much to Lucius' delight. Lucius kissed Harry chastely one last time before he curled up with him, not even bothering to change. It didn't take a huge amount of time before they were both asleep, content to hold each other.

**A/N**: Wow. That chapter was surprisingly hard to write. I wanted to get it up yesterday (Haha see what I did there) buuuut it just wouldn't come (SEE WHAT I DID AGAIN). Oh dear, there will be E.D. references galore in the next chapter. And Draco and Blaise will be all like –facepalm-

Thanks for all the lovely reviews I've been getting, but only getting 5 for the past chapter is a little depressing. –tear-

Hope you enjoyed and that you review… Or I may just make you wait a week. I'm not feeling entirely inspired for the next chapter right now… Maybe your reviews will inspire me… ;D

~Amy Ehren


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N**: This chapter is dedicated to Bridget. Yes, you, Thorpius.

Breakfast found a surprisingly happy group of people in the sitting room, people who laughed and smiled in between bites of egg on toast. Draco and Blaise sat on the floor while Harry and Lucius had settled themselves into comfortable armchairs. Blaise made a comment that Harry looked like he never wanted to get up out of the armchair. Lucius smirked at Harry and couldn't resist making a joke.

"Be careful where you put Harry. He may not be able to _get up_," Lucius said with a snicker. Harry glared at Lucius.

"Well, with this guy's attitude, I may not want to," Harry responded, slyly grinning.

"I thought my attitude made things _hard_ for you," Lucius said, seemingly uninterested in the matter. Harry rolled his eyes. Blaise snickered, having caught on. Draco looked kind of confused.

"I guess Lucius tried to stick his wand in the wrong places," Blaise offered wickedly.

Harry smirked. "I guess when Lucius doesn't involve his wand, the magic doesn't happen." Lucius shot Harry an icy glare. It was quickly replaced by a half-smile. That comment had been pretty good. Suddenly, Draco made a noise halfway between a retch and a laugh. Harry turned to look at him.

"I just got what you were talking about," he gasped between fits of laughter.

"You are… incredibly slow," Harry said. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Do you know how disturbing those images are in my head?" Draco asked, looking slightly nauseated. Harry smirked.

"Would you like to hear about how well your father gives head?" Harry asked, putting on a look of genuine curiosity. Draco gagged.

"No thank you!" Draco shuddered. "God, I'm going to have nightmares for weeks."

"Not if I can help it," Blaise purred seductively into Draco's ear, lightly biting the blond's earlobe. He ran his hands over Draco's chest, eliciting a soft moan. Lucius turned to Harry.

"We'll have to show them how it's done," Lucius remarked coolly. Harry grinned and went over to Lucius. He sat on the older blond's lap, putting his arms around Lucius' neck. Lucius leaned in and licked along Harry's jaw, from chin to ear, where he nibbled on his earlobe. One hand was playing with one of Harry's nipples while the other firmly grasped his ass. Harry moaned, unable to keep from doing so while Lucius did such delicious things to him. Lucius pulled away and Harry groaned.

"It seems we've solved your problem," Lucius murmured with a sly smile and a glance at Harry's crotch. Harry blushed. Lucius raised an eyebrow and Harry remembered what he had said the night before. He grinned and nodded. Lucius picked Harry up bridal style, carrying him out of the room and into Lucius' bedroom.

Lucius put Harry down onto the bed and climbed on top of him, straddling the smaller man. He smirked, relishing the utter control he had over Harry. Harry's eyes were clouded by lust. Lucius cast a quick, wordless spell that Vanished Harry's clothes. He moaned ever so slightly at the vision beneath him.

"Do you trust me?" Lucius asked. Harry nodded. Lucius murmured a spell and Harry's wrists were tied to the headboard. His arms stretched to their full length, Harry looked at Lucius and smirked. Lucius was having difficulty completely grasping the image of the man beneath him. Harry's body appeared longer than it was, muscles in his arms and chest defined. The raven-haired man had plenty of muscle tone, Lucius thought appreciatively. Lucius put one hand on Harry's chest and leaned down, pressing his mouth to Harry's. Harry lifted his head slightly to deepen their kiss.

Lucius' hands explored Harry's torso, his fingers dancing over the pink nubs, causing Harry to fidget slightly. Lucius removed his mouth from Harry's, causing the Gryffindor to mewl in protest. That mewl turned to one of delight when he felt Lucius' tongue on his right nipple, circling it lightly before taking the whole nipple in his mouth, gently tugging it between his teeth. Harry arched his back off the bed, his erection becoming almost painful. Lucius noticed, of course, but purposely avoided it, rubbing Harry's thighs and hips, but skirting around Harry's most sensitive part. Lucius moved his tongue down to Harry's navel, dipping his tongue in and out. Harry was surprised by how wonderful the sensation was; he was getting dangerously close to coming without even having his cock touched.

Lucius finally moved his mouth down to Harry's aching erection. Harry groaned, feeling an intense desire to tangle his fingers in Lucius' long hair, but unable to do so with his hands bound the way they were. He groaned, pushing his hips upwards and thrusting into Lucius' mouth. With a slight laugh, Lucius pushed Harry's hips back down. He held the smaller man's hips in place and began to suck on the head. Harry moaned and threw his head back, feeling himself incredibly close to coming. When Lucius' tongue flicked over the slit, he cried out and came into Lucius' mouth. Lucius licked up every drop.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of your taste," Lucius murmured, beginning to rid himself of the clothes that were slightly uncomfortable now. Especially his pants. Harry lifted his head a little to watch Lucius and was treated to a little striptease. Lucius slowly removed his shirt, tantalizing Harry with the sight of his hard nipples and lean chest. Harry felt his breath catch as Lucius put his thumbs into the waistband of his tight pants. A smirk graced the blond's face as he watched Harry's cock rise again as he gave his very best "bedroom eyes." God, he was good at those. Lucius teased Harry as he slid the pants off, maintaining eye contact. Harry wriggled on the bed, wanting nothing more than to wrap his hands around his erection and make himself come while watching this display.

Lucius sauntered up to Harry on the bed, lifting his legs and kneeling, kissing the insides of his thighs. He kissed his way to Harry's entrance, gently probing with his tongue. Harry shuddered, loving the feeling of the wet muscle inside of him. He growled in protest when Lucius removed his tongue and inserted a finger. As wonderful as the finger did feel, the tongue had been such an incredible feeling. Lucius added a second finger, scissoring his fingers to stretch the relaxing muscles. As he pushed his fingers in as far as they could go, they brushed against Harry's prostate. Harry's back arched off the bed as the blonde's fingers continually brushed against that sensitive spot. Harry heard Lucius mutter something before slipping his fingers out and pressing the head of his very hard cock at Harry's entrance. Lucius eased himself in until he was buried to the hilt.

Harry moaned. "Move already, dammit," he groaned. Lucius slowly pulled himself almost completely out, then slowly pushed back in. The sensation was unbelievable. Lucius gradually picked up his pace until he was thrusting as hard and as fast as he could. The hot muscles seemed to fit his tool perfectly. Lucius wrapped one hand around Harry's erection and pumped in time with his thrusts. Lucius was so close to shooting his load.

"Agh, Lucius, I'm going to come!" Harry yelled, his back arching almost a foot off the bed. Harry's seed spurted onto his chest and Lucius' hand. Almost immediately after, Lucius came into Harry, and both of them sank to the bed, completely spent. Much to Harry's delight, Lucius licked up the cum covering Harry's chest. With another murmured spell, the bindings on Harry's hands came undone. Harry wrapped his arms around Lucius and held him, their legs tangled together. The covers had been thrown onto the floor at some point, and neither of them particularly cared. They were content to lay together and casually kiss, relaxed after such an amazing bout of making love.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Draco and Blaise had, after Lucius and Harry left, proceeded to make love on the floor in the living room. Now, they had dressed each other and curled up together a few feet back from the fire. Neither of them were entirely conscious, reveling in their post-coital bliss.

With a sudden green blaze from the fire, none other than Severus Snape stepped into the living room, nearly tripping over Draco and Blaise. Both were snapped into consciousness, staring at the Potions Master with terrified expressions. Severus looked down at them, snorting in laughter. He had known that Draco and Blaise were involved, and he was quite happy for his godson that Lucius had evidently accepted it. With a uncharacteristic flourish, he exited the room.

Severus made his way to Lucius' bedroom, not bothering to knock. He knew that Potter was staying at the manor, but he assumed that they would be in separate rooms. The sight that greeted him made him want to Obliviate himself. When he threw the door open, the sight of the two naked men entwined so fully that limbs were impossible to distinguish made him cover his eyes and cry out. Harry screeched and detached himself from Lucius, frantically searching for the covers and throwing them over himself. He hid his scarlet face from the highly unamused Potions Master.

"Do you have some mission in life to make mine a living hell, Potter?" Severus spat, uncovering his face to shoot a glare at Lucius, who had his head thrown back in laughter. Harry merely squeaked, both embarrassed and a little indignant at his professor's question.

"I think you scared him," Lucius said with a smirk. Harry peeked his head out to glare his hardest at Lucius. It wasn't very effective with his scarlet face.

"Would you mind putting on clothes, Lucius?" Severus asked pointedly, purposely looking away from Lucius' very exposed, very _tempting_ body. Harry caught the look and narrowed his eyes.

"I wouldn't look again if I were you, unless you want to be hexed into oblivion," Lucius chuckled. "A lot has happened since we last talked. For example, as you can see, Harry and I are sleeping together." Lucius covered himself with part of the blanket Harry was using. "Not only that, but it turns out he's my soul mate." Severus' jaw dropped.

"You mean to tell me _Potter_ of all people is bound to you?" he exclaimed indignantly, his mind working furiously. Harry was afraid the bat-like man's brain would overload. Lucius nodded and exposed Harry's shoulder. He tapped it and the mark glowed golden. Severus stiffened.

"And the mark is golden," he muttered. "It would figure that you're bonded, but also that you've already managed to confirm that you love each other." Harry stared at Lucius.

"So that's what it means," Lucius mused. "I had wondered…"

"Yes, Lucius. A golden mark means that you've reached the highest level of affection for each other. I feel bad for the people who have red marks, though." Severus smirked, staring at Harry's wrists. Harry's eyes widened and he hid his hands under the blanket as well. "Seems like you're still as into that bizarre stuff as you were when we were in school. I always wondered why half the school looked like they had rope burn on their wrists. And also why you never caught anything."

Harry unintentionally voiced a question he'd had. "Can wizards and witches get STD's?" Lucius and Severus glanced at each other and burst into laughter. Harry didn't think he'd ever heard the Potions Master genuinely laugh, and it was a rather interesting laugh, more feminine than he'd thought.

"We have potions to get rid of anything, including that muggle disease… What was it? Band-aids?" Lucius asked, thinking. It was Harry's turn to roar with laughter.

"AIDS, Lucius. It's much more serious than you'd think. In fact, it kills many, many muggles a year," Harry said. "I don't know anyone who's died from it personally, but many people do." He had quieted down, more thoughtful than he had been before. At least he knew he couldn't contract it.

"However, with the right potions, male wizards can carry babies," Severus added thoughtfully, tapping his chin. Harry yelped.

"What?" His eyes were the size of dinner plates. Lucius smirked.

"Yes, they can get pregnant," he confirmed. Harry stared between the two men and tried to wrap his head around the idea.

"I suppose I better tell you why I'm actually here," Severus sighed. "I hate to admit it in front of the Potter brat," he paused at Harry's indignant outburst, only to smirk and continue, "but I came to wish you a belated merry Christmas. Yes Potter, I have friends." Harry snorted and Severus glared at him. "And now, I will take my leave. I'm sure there is a certain girl who is wondering where I've gone."

"Wait, you have a girlfriend?" Harry's jaw dropped. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Is it so hard to imagine I have friends _and_ a girlfriend? You know her," he said with a smirk before Disapparating with a loud pop. Harry turned to Lucius.

"Who is he dating?" he asked, his mind working furiously. Lucius giggled evilly.

"I'm not sure I should tell you." Harry glared at Lucius. "Fine. That Lovegood girl." Harry nodded in understanding before freezing.

"Luna?" he asked, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. "Well, I suppose I can see it…" he mused after a moment of shock. "She's intelligent, but how does he put up with her strange ideas? He seems like a no-nonsense guy." Lucius laughed.

"He is. But she's opening his mind up to the impossible. It's a little refreshing. I nearly got myself hexed for laughing at him when he told me to watch out for Wrackspurts last time I visited Hogwarts." Harry roared with laughter.

"You learn new things every day. I guess I'm happy for them. Anything to make him seem less like he's got a pole up his ass," Harry said with a shrug. Lucius laughed.

"Well, on a different note, how would you like to join me for a formal lunch?" Lucius asked, smiling gently.

"Like… a date?" Harry asked eagerly. Lucius nodded. Harry squealed in delight and threw his arms around the blonde's neck, showering him with kisses.

**A/N**: Wow, this one just kept coming and I knew I needed to end the chapter there before I wrote so much I didn't upload until next week. . I totally meant to get this up earlier, but Hamlet consumed my life.

I hope you enjoyed, and I would really love reviews! I love all the suggestions I received in the reviews, and we'll see which ones I actually take. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, because you make me happy. Bridget: please don't kill me at school. I need my hands! .

~Amy Ehren


	15. Chapter 15

The shower that Lucius and Harry took was sensual, but nothing more than that. They washed each other, but neither of them really wanted to go for another bout of sex after how wonderful the sex had been earlier. Harry may have been eighteen with hormones, but he was fully sated. They casually kissed under the jets of steaming water, letting it cascade down their bodies as they pressed together.

Lucius took a step back and kneeled to pick up a few bottles of shampoo and oil. Smiling, Harry took the bottles from his hands and washed Lucius' long hair. He absolutely loved his hair. The blond strands slipped between his fingers as he worked various scented oils and shampoo into the hair. After rinsing Lucius' hair, Harry kissed the top of the blond's head. Lucius stood and kissed Harry on the mouth gently.

"I love you," Lucius murmured, running his hands through the black hair of his soul mate.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Back in Lucius' room, Harry was silently laughing at Lucius' indecision. Clothes were strewn everywhere as Lucius cast aside options and then picked them up again and tossed them away again. However, Harry didn't complain, considering Lucius was still completely naked and he got a wonderful view of his ass. Harry wrapped a towel around his own waist and slipped out of the room to go to his own and decide what he wanted to wear.

On his bedside table, Harry saw the pendant that Lucius had given him. He looped the gold chain around his neck, flinching slightly as the cold metal made contact with his skin. He snorted slightly as he looked at his options for clothes.

_Bedsheet, bedsheet, bedsheet,_ Harry thought with a little amusement as he looked through each individual shirt. Finally, he found one that Seamus had given him. He bit his lip as he held it up. It just felt weird to wear something one boyfriend had given him for a date with another. He felt a pair of eyes on his back and turned to see Lucius in the doorway.

"Problem?" the blond asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Err… The only clothes I have that don't look like bedsheets are ones given to me by an ex-boyfriend," Harry admitted. "It would feel wrong to wear them on a date." He laughed a little sheepishly and blushed. Lucius snorted.

"I'll give you something of Draco's to wear. You're about the same size, I'd guess," he said, looking over Harry. Lucius clapped his hands and a scrawny House Elf appeared. "Go inform Draco that Harry will be borrowing a few of his clothes and have Draco choose something." The Elf bowed, disappearing with a loud crack. Now Harry had a chance to really look Lucius over.

He wore skin-tight black pants that really left nothing to the imagination and made his legs look more slender than they were. The knee-high boots lent to that as well. A simple grey silk long-sleeved button-down tucked into a wide belt. His long hair was tied into a ponytail with a dark green ribbon, but a few strands fell into the man's grey eyes. Leaning in the doorway, Lucius smirked at the fire that burned behind Harry's gaze.

"You look absolutely fuckable," Harry breathed, running his eyes hungrily over Lucius.

"Not now," Lucius chuckled. He straightened up and walked over to the towel-clad man, wrapping his arms around his waist. Harry, in turn, put his arms around Lucius' shoulders, pulling him in for a kiss. Lucius returned the kiss, his tongue flicking over Harry's lips. They parted for him without hesitation. Harry didn't fight Lucius' dominance, just let the blond's tongue explore the inside of his mouth. By now, Lucius had to know that territory like the back of his hand. Harry sucked on Lucius' tongue, eliciting a moan from the older man.

A nervous cough broke them apart, Harry wildly looking around for the source of the cough. He blushed to the very roots of his hair when he saw the House Elf standing there with an outfit. The House Elf looked rather ashamed to have walked in just then, but Lucius simply took the clothes and sent the Elf away. Harry was still red.

"Here, take these," Lucius said, handing Harry the outfit. Harry took it and grabbed a pair of his own underwear. He happened to have his own of that, as his aunt and uncle couldn't deny he needed _those_. He dropped the towel and put the pair on, acutely aware of Lucius' eyes on him. He slipped the shirt on, a v-neck with elbow-length sleeves. The emerald fabric was a little snug, but it served to highlight the muscle tone that Harry did have. Quidditch had paid off, if only to make him look a little less scrawny and more slender. He turned and looked in the mirror, pulling the pendant out from underneath the shirt. He smirked. He looked pretty damn good. He grabbed the pants and pulled them up, struggling a little and wondering if they were just a little too small. When he had them on all the way, he looked at himself and the thought of a different pair of pants went out the window. The black pants were actually skinny jeans. Harry had to bite back a laugh at the image of Draco wearing them. He was sure Blaise appreciated them, much as he could see Lucius doing in the mirror.

"Draco made a good choice," Lucius growled, a possessive smirk on his face. Harry smiled, bending over to pick up his shoes. He thought he heard Lucius let out a little bit of a moan at the sight of his ass in the jeans. He put the dress shoes on and turned to Lucius.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" Harry asked, running a hand through his hair. It wasn't going to go flat, so he didn't try anymore.

"It's called _Les Petit Danseur,"_ Lucius said, refusing to say any more than that. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds like an upscale strip club," Harry said. Lucius laughed.

"I assure you, it is nowhere near a strip club," he said, amusement apparent in his voice. He moved closer, his breath ghosting over Harry's ear. "I only give the best." Harry shivered.

"I could tell," Harry murmured wickedly. Lucius grinned.

"We should go," he said, backing away from Harry and taking his hand. Harry nodded and Lucius turned on his heel, Disapparating with a crack.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry looked around the restaurant in awe. Lucius had taken him to France for this. The restaurant was as lavish as the Malfoy Manor, lit by crystal chandeliers and elegant candles at each table. Lucius and Harry were led by a tall, plump man to their booth. It was out of the eyes of the public. They sat across from each other, and Harry couldn't help but marvel at how natural Lucius looked in the glamour of the place.

"You know Lucius…" Harry began. "I can't read French." He blushed, looking a bit ashamed.

"I'll order something for you," Lucius said, unaffected by Harry's statement. Soon, a waiter came by and took Lucius' orders for the both of them. Lucius also ordered a bottle of wine, and Harry laughed nervously. He was still a little wary after the incident with the Firewhisky. That seemed so far behind him, the point when he first admitted his feelings for Lucius. A small smile crept on to his face when he thought of how terrified he had been that Lucius didn't reciprocate his affection. It had been a real fear at the time, but now it was evident that nothing could keep them apart. Harry unconsciously rubbed his shoulder, and Lucius reached over and took his hand.

"I was just thinking about how long ago it feels that I first admitted that I wanted you," Harry said softly. Lucius rubbed small circles with his thumb over the back of Harry's hand. "I was so scared that you would reject me."

"I don't know when it was that I started wanting you in return. I think it was during the Quidditch World Cup. I thought I was going insane. You were… fourteen at the time?" Lucius chuckled bitterly. "There I was, an old man lusting after a boy no older than my son. Narcissa thought I was going insane. I couldn't sleep. The morality was tearing me apart. When you told me to 'fuck off' that day not so long ago, I realized that you are an adult now. You looked so tempting that I couldn't resist using discipline as an excuse to kiss you. You seemed so upset that I had kissed you that I knew I had to do more. Usually, I make men (and women) fall at my feet simply by fluttering my eyelashes. You were different. I loved it. I…" Lucius gulped visibly. "I planted that photographer. I needed an excuse to get you alone, to get you here. Even if you hadn't gone into that little reverie, I would have kissed you where that photographer could have seen us. I'm horrible, I know," Lucius said ashamedly.

"If you hadn't done that, I would have had no excuse to try to seduce you," Harry replied. "That was my plan, but when I found that you were willing to be with me without such lengths, I decided I would wait until it was the absolute right time to give my body wholly to you. It was the best decision I've ever made. Because you are mind-blowing in bed." Harry blushed after he finished speaking. Lucius smiled a small smile and leaned across the table to gently kiss Harry.

"I'm glad you think so," Lucius laughed. Harry looked at their hands.

"I think I starting wanting you when we first met. Hard to believe, isn't it? A twelve year old enamoured with his schoolmate's father. I don't think I realized that I actually wanted you until you kissed me. I just thought I had some strange obsession with you," Harry admitted, blushing fiercely. Unable to help himself he asked, "Were you by chance drinking before you kissed me that day?" Lucius looked slightly surprised.

"I had… a few… glasses of wine," he admitted. He raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"I remember your lips tasted like fine wine… and lust," Harry said softly. Lucius opened his mouth to respond when the waiter arrived with their bottle of wine. He deftly opened the bottle and poured it into a decanter. The waiter partially filled two glasses, handing one to Lucius. The blond swirled the liquid and smelled it, closing his eyes as he took a sip. He nodded at the waiter, who placed a glass in front of Harry.

The waiter said something in French to Lucius, who responded with a short sentence that sounded expectant and walked away with the decanter. Lucius turned back to Harry to resume their conversation.

"Did you say that my lips tasted like lust?" he asked, arching his eyebrows. Harry nodded. "What exactly does lust taste like?" His lips were curved into a rather sexy smirk as he took another sip of wine.

"It tastes like chocolate. It tastes bittersweet, but smooth. It's mixed with the taste of plum pudding, actually," Harry mused. "And then there's the hint of vanilla. It's sensual."

Lucius leaned across and kissed Harry, pulling away slowly. Harry slowly smiled.

"That taste that was there that first kiss is there again," he said softly. "It's amazing." Lucius smiled.

"I love you," Lucius murmured, pressing his lips to Harry's knuckles.

"I love you too," Harry responded tenderly, his skin tingling from Lucius' lips. There was an electricity between them today that either hadn't been there before, or Harry had never noticed. Their eyes met. Lucius' eyes were full of unabated passion, sending shivers down Harry's spine. Neither could tear their gaze away, hardly noticing when their food was placed in front of them. Seizing the opportunity, the waiter dropped something into Harry's glass of wine. The waiter cleared his throat, breaking the intense connection between their eyes. Lucius nodded at the waiter, a little irked that their moment had been lost, but he smiled when the waiter said something. He didn't just smile, actually, Harry thought. He was grinning.

Harry looked down at his plate and gingerly took a bite of the pasta. He found it was actually quite delicious. He smiled at Lucius.

"This is delicious," he said. Lucius gave him a look that clearly told him that he knew what he was doing when he ordered. "But isn't pasta Italian?"

"Yes," Lucius laughed. "This restaurant, however, is famed for both their French and Italian cuisine. The two chefs are a married couple. They're actually purebloods. The woman is from France, and the man from Italy. They cook their own country's food and it has had charming results, hasn't it?"

"It has," Harry agreed. He took another bite. "What exactly is this?"

"Linguine in a white wine and clam sauce," Lucius said after a short thought. "My own is a gnocchi."

"Are you alright? You haven't eaten much," Harry noticed after looking at Lucius' plate. Lucius chuckled softly.

"I never eat quickly when dining out," Lucius said with a small shrug. Harry accepted his answer without a question.

They ate with little conversation, but when they finished, Harry leaned back with his hand on his stomach.

"Gods that was delicious," Harry said with a satisfied smile. Lucius laughed.

"I know what I'm doing," he said. Harry smirked.

"Oh, I know that," he purred. Lucius playfully glared at him.

"Your mind is sick," he said, rolling his eyes. Harry cheerfully nodded.

"I have hormones," Harry said.

"I can tell."

"But they make you so happy, don't they?"

"I can't deny that they do," Lucius said, taking Harry's hand again. "You should try your wine." Harry looked slightly puzzled at the sudden change of topic, but held up his glass and took a sip. It was drier than he had expected, and it had a lovely taste. Harry nodded at Lucius to indicate that he liked it.

"I figured you should probably drink what I paid for," Lucius said. Harry chuckled. He took another sip and froze when something hit his lip. He slowly brought the glass down from his lips and stared at it, but he was unable to see through the crimson liquid. Lucius' lips were starting to curve up into a smile. Harry was curious and a little worried, but he continued to drink. If it were poison, it would have probably had some effect by now. By the time Harry had only a little left in his glass, Lucius was unable to hide his almost giddiness. He looked expectant and nervous. Harry took another sip and gasped when what had hit his lip came into view.

He hooked the silver band around his finger to lift it out of the glass, placing it on his napkin and drying the red wine off of it. He stared at it in wonder and looked questioningly at Lucius. Lucius simply beamed at this point. Lucius took the ring from Harry and got up, standing Harry up. The blond got on one knee, holding up the band.

"Harry Potter, will you marry me? Will you strengthen our bond as soul mates by becoming my husband?" Lucius asked, his eyes shining with love and hope. Harry nearly started crying.

"Yes, Lucius," he choked out, so overcome by the man's open display of emotions. He remembered what Lucius had said about waking up one day covered in rose petals. Just because there weren't actually any roses here, it didn't mean the man had made a huge step in doing something so romantic. A tad cliché, but romantic nonetheless.

Lucius looked as though his face would split from the size of the smile on it slipped the ring onto Harry's hand. He stood and took Harry into his arms, kissing him with more love and tenderness than ever. Harry heard applause and broke away, wildly looking around. He saw a man and a woman standing a few feet away, grins on their faces.

"Harry, meet Giselle and Antony," Lucius said, introducing the couple. "They are the chefs here." Harry smiled, blushing a little.

"It is nice to meet you," Giselle said with a pretty French accent. She turned to Lucius. "You had said that he was very handsome. You did not say that he was so young." She giggled a little. "You have good taste." Antony came forward here and shook Harry's hand. He smiled but said nothing. Giselle supplemented. "He does not speak English, and neither of us feel the need to use a spell to make him speak it. We are happy with French and I learned Italian so that we could communicate better." Lucius wrapped an arm around Harry's waist.

"The food was exceptional," Lucius said with a smile. Harry nodded his agreement. Giselle told her husband in rapid French and he grinned. Giselle leaned forward to murmur something to Harry.

"He made it special for you. Lucius is one of our favorites here," she giggled. "Congratulations on your engagement!" she cried, clapping her hands. "But now we must return to the kitchen. It was wonderful meeting you, Harry. Lucius, I fully expect to be invited to the wedding." She smiled and walked away with Antony. Harry turned to Lucius and smiled, kissing him soundly.

"Let's go love," Lucius said softly.

"Don't we have to pay?" Harry asked. Lucius laughed.

"It was actually complimentary," he said. "Giselle is so fond of marriages that when I told her my plan, she told me not to worry about paying for it." Harry smiled.

The two of them left, Lucius Apparating Harry to their bedroom. Harry fell on top of Lucius on the bed, content to lay with him.

"You know, none of this was how I expected it to go," Harry murmured. "I always pictured myself dating someone for a few years before we decided to get married, rather than a few days." Harry chuckled a bit. "I'm not complaining. It's obvious we'll do just fine. I mean, you are my soul mate. That doesn't mean we won't disagree from time to time, and it doesn't mean that we may have moments where we can't stand each other and making someone sleep on the couch, but it does mean that we won't fall apart. It means that no matter what, we will love each other. It means that nothing can really tear us away from each other." Harry's voice had dropped to a whisper. He stroked Lucius' cheek.

Lucius was surprised by how effortlessly the younger man had just said everything. He was so honest, and at first, Lucius had been a little crestfallen when Harry said it wasn't what he expected. However, hearing what he had followed that with was so incredible that a tear slid down his face. He buried his head in Harry chest.

"You really are incredible," Lucius said, his voice somewhat muffled. Harry cradled the older blond, feeling that at that moment, he was where he was supposed to be. "I love you. I promise to you that I will never let my selfish desires get in the way of my feelings." Lucius let out a deep breath. He had never made any such promise before. All of his past relationships had been for some personal gain. Making that promise had been difficult, but he felt he could keep it.

All was right with their lives in that moment.

**A/N: **Hey guys! I was on vacation for two weeks, so that's why there was nothing for the past two weeks. Ahaha. I had a great vacation, though!

And I just found out that the Christian movement says that the day I graduate high school is judgment day. (It is, in fact, this year, apparently.) Just thought I'd share the interesting news.

Yes, there is more. It's just… the chapter kept coming and I was thinking OMG STOP! So I end there and more shall come. Whoooooo! Reviews are wonderful, so I'd very much appreciate getting some a lot.


	16. Chapter 16

It seemed like such a short time before Harry and Draco had to return to Hogwarts. For the first time, Harry didn't want to return. He would much rather stay at Malfoy Manor with Lucius. Truth be told, he was nervous to be away from the older man. He had no idea about how the soul mate mark would react. Would he be able to feel everything Lucius felt and vice versa? Harry sighed, staring at his half-packed trunk. He could simply wave his wand and the various clothes would pack themselves, but he was so used to packing the Muggle way that it felt wrong to use magic.

"I'll be talking to Dumbledore, you know," came a voice from the doorway. Harry jumped and turned to see Lucius lounging there. The blond smirked at Harry's start and waved his hand. The clothes began folding themselves and landing in Harry's trunk.

"I'm just a little nervous," Harry admitted, sitting down on the bed. Lucius straightened and walked over to him. He sat down as well, putting his arm around the brunette. Harry absent-mindedly fiddled with the ring on his finger as he thought a little.

"That old coot won't dare separate us," Lucius growled, possessively encircling Harry in his arms. Harry smiled, trying to resist a little bit of a laugh at how child-like Lucius' expression was. He had a bit of an angry pout going on.

"If he won't agree, what will happen?" Harry asked.

"I'll kill him," Lucius stated simply. Harry raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I won't kill him." Lucius smiled sheepishly.

"I meant, if we're separated for long periods of time, what happens? There's some magic behind this soul mate thing, right?" Harry asked.

"I'm not entirely sure how the magic works, but if one of us is in danger, the other will be Apparated there through the bond," Lucius said. He paled. "Can you imagine what could have happened if we had discovered this bond whilst Voldemort still lived? You could have been called into a meeting of Death Eaters."

Harry could see where Lucius' concern stemmed from, but couldn't resist a dry chuckle. "I don't think I would have been willing to 'discover the bond' with you while Voldemort was still alive," he snorted, drawing quotes in the air with his index and middle fingers. Lucius's lips curled into a small smile.

"Then I guess I'm glad he's dead," Lucius murmured, lightly kissing Harry's cheek. Harry blushed.

"That was… actually really sweet," Harry said softly. He looked into Lucius' grey eyes and smiled, brushing a few strands of hair back behind the blond's ear. Keeping one hand on the back of Lucius' head, Harry leaned forward and kissed him gently. "Moments like those make me realize just how much I love you, Lucius Malfoy." His voice was soft but not breathy, filled with love but not lust. For once, it wasn't his hormones doing the talking.

"Everything you do makes me see how wonderful you are," Lucius said, a faint pink tinting his cheeks. It was unusual for him to say something like that and a little embarrassing besides. Harry smiled.

"We need to talk to Dumbledore before I go back tomorrow," Harry said softly. Lucius sighed.

"We can Floo to his office," he said, standing and pulling Harry up as well. They made their way to the fireplace and Lucius tossed a handful of the powder from an elegant vase into the fire. The flames turned emerald green and they stepped in, Lucius clearly stating their destination.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The old headmaster paused his quill when Fawkes, much like an attention-seeking puppy, forced his head into one of Albus' hands, expecting to be pet. Albus chuckled and obliged, hardly paying any attention when Lucius and Harry stepped out of his fireplace.

"I see neither of you has killed the other," Albus said without looking over. Lucius rolled his eyes but kept from making a biting remark.

"I'll cut to the point of our visit. During the course of the holidays, Harry and I discovered we are soul mates," Lucius said, to which Albus' head snapped sharply to look at them. Harry pulled his shirt to the side to show his mark. Lucius tapped it, to which it glowed a fabulous gold. Albus' eyebrows shot up. "Therefore, I am requesting that Harry and I have shared quarters here."

"Lucius, I am aware that Harry is of age, but he is still a student. I cannot permit you to live together on Hogwarts grounds. Harry cannot live outside of the school until he has completed this year, nor can you live here. It would set bad examples for the younger students who look up to Harry as their role model. It would give them cause to pursue older men or women who would take advantage of them," Albus said calmly, refusing to look Lucius in the eye.

"He is of age! He can do what he wants," Lucius fumed. "We are soul mates, Albus! Not just a fling. If you keep us apart, you know what will happen. Besides, other students have relationships with teachers!" Lucius clapped a hand over his mouth in the most un-Malfoy gesture he had ever made. He mentally cursed himself for giving away his best friend's secret.

"That is strictly forbidden at Hogwarts," Albus said stiffly. He folded his hands in his lap, finally making eye contact with Lucius. "Who is Severus seeing?"

"I don't recall saying it was Severus," Lucius replied coldly. His glare didn't even cause Albus to break his gaze. Harry looked between Albus and Lucius, biting his lower lip.

"What other teachers have any connection to you, Lucius?" Albus asked, and Lucius had to concede that point to him. Lucius began to put up his mental shields, as Dumbledore was an extremely competent Legilimens. He felt his barriers being prodded at, and desperately wanted to tell Harry to do the same, but he couldn't communicate wordlessly with him. The prodding stopped, and Lucius turned to look at Harry, who clutched his head.

"Get out," he hissed, violently shaking his head.

"So Xenophilius' girl, is it?" Dumbledore asked, his voice taking on a sinister tone. At this, Harry's eyes narrowed.

"You may have been my 'protector,' and have sent me on tasks that were puzzling, and ultimately left me confused and hurt, but I _refuse_ to let you hurt anyone else. Luna is almost as smart as Hermione, and if she loves an adult, so what? She saved me from the Dementor's Kiss once and she knows how to protect herself," Harry said fiercely, the air around him crackling with electricity. "Snape and I aren't exactly friends, but I highly doubt he is the kind of man to take advantage of a student. From the memories I saw during the final battle, when he loves, it is with his whole heart. You do them both wrong with your assumptions. And you speak as if just because I date an older man, other students will try to as well. Generally, adults have more qualms about this kind of thing than students do." Harry's voice was dangerously low now.

Albus looked surprised. Lucius smirked. 'Harry one, the old man zero,' he thought, proud of his husband-to-be.

"I suggest you allow Lucius and I to share quarters," Harry growled. Albus sighed.

"I cannot allow you to live together. However, I will permit Lucius to visit on weekends and at all Hogsmeade trips," he said as if he were deciding something difficult. "It is all I can do." Lucius glared at Albus, to which Albus replied, "The mark you bear will protect you from danger. Besides, don't you need to know how you will react upon separation for more than a few hours? If either of you react badly, only then will I permit you to share quarters. I am truly happy for the both of you, but I cannot rescind rules simply because you are bonded soul mates."

Lucius had to resist snarling at the old man's idiocy. He did have to concede that they did need to learn how they would react upon separation, but to keep them from being able to touch each other daily was hellish for them, Lucius knew. He had seen a case when he was a Death Eater where they had kept the soul mates prisoners in separate houses. It had been a sick experiment of the Dark Lord; they didn't torture the two, but ultimately, one had managed to break away a piece of the corroded iron that held him and plunged it into the veins in his wrist at the agony he was being subjected to. Upon feeling his death, his wife had wrapped her chains around her neck and strangled herself. It had been an absolutely gruesome sight. Lucius was only thankful Voldemort had only done such a method once; he didn't feel the pleasure in their deaths that he did when he tortured his victims.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked softly. Lucius had paled and turned slightly green. Harry took Lucius' hand as the blond tried began to shake violently. Suddenly, Dumbledore gasped.

"His memory…" Albus was unable to continue his sentence.

"What did you do?" Harry cried, holding Lucius to try to calm him.

"I did nothing other than a little Legilimency," Albus said softly. "What a horrible thing to witness…"

"What exactly?" Harry's eyes narrowed.

"A sick experiment by Voldemort. I…" he faltered. "I must ask you to wait two days before the quarters will be prepared."

"Aren't you a wizard? Just magic up the room, dammit!" Harry snarled. His anger waned slightly when he saw Lucius beginning to calm down.

"Hogwarts' magic is more complicated than any other. It takes days to set up the required wards and spells around a new area, and additional spells to make sure that the room doesn't move as the staircases do," Albus explained. It seemed to satisfy Harry, who said nothing, instead rubbing soothing circles into the blond's back.

"I will owl Lucius when they are ready," Albus said. Harry took that as their dismissal, helping a still visibly shaken Lucius to his feet.

"Relax. I'll take care of getting us home," Harry said softly. Somehow, saying that made him feel happier than he ever had. For years, his only home had been Hogwarts. But now he had a place where he truly was home that would be there whenever he needed it, rather than a school. Harry supported Lucius' weight as Albus handed him a pouch of Floo powder. Harry took a handful of the contents and tossed it into the flames. He stepped in and said, with more than just a little pride, "Malfoy Manor."

Albus watched them go and turned to Fawkes, his eyes sad. He stroked the bird's head with a single finger.

"If only they understood…" he said softly, walking over to his Pensieve and finding a particular memory. "If they cannot be parted, how could they ever survive?"

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Draco and Blaise sat at the end of the table in the dining room, enjoying a light meal together. They were laughing about the way that Blaise ate, eating each individual food rather than mixing. When Harry pulled up a chair on Draco's other side, they grinned at him.

"Hungry?" Blaise asked. Harry nodded dumbly.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked slowly, noting that Harry looked tired.

"Ugh. It's a bit of a long story," Harry said, rubbing his temples.

"We'll hear it out," Blaise responded and Draco nodded.

"Well, Lucius and I went to talk to Dumbledore about sharing quarters since we're bonded and everything," Harry began.

"Oh God this doesn't sound good," Draco muttered.

"Anyways, Dumbledore initially refused. Said something about me being a 'role model' and if I went dating older men and living with them on school grounds, it would inspire others to do the same and the older person would take advantage of them. Then Lucius kind of exploded and let it slip that other teachers and students have relationships and then he figured out about Snape and Luna. He sounded like he was going to hurt her and I got angry and yelled at Dumbledore," Harry said sheepishly. Both Blaise and Draco's jaws were on the floor. "He agreed to let Lucius come to Hogwarts on weekends and to all Hogsmeade visits. That pissed Lucius off, so Dumbledore said it was so that we could learn what it felt like to be separated. That made Lucius remember some twisted experiment Voldemort did and he kind of went into shock. He started shaking so badly… And when Dumbledore did Legilimency on him, he saw whatever the memory was and said he'd have quarters ready for us in two days." Harry was a little unnerved by Blaise and Draco's equally shocked and angry expressions.

"That fucking bastard," Draco growled. "How could he even think of hurting my father?" Blaise put a hand on Draco's.

"Dumbledore was stupid, but I don't think he intended to hurt them," Blaise said softly, trying to calm him.

"It's all right now. He's letting us live together," Harry said, smiling weakly. "Now, what about some food? I'm really hungry." His smile strengthened when a House Elf brought a plate of sliced ham and cheese. He began to dig in, hardly pausing when Draco and Blaise laughed at his lack of manners.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Lucius sat in his study, not entirely recovered. He didn't even have the ability to stand at that moment. Gathering most of his strength, he reached for the Floo powder to make a fire-call to Severus.

When Severus' face appeared in the fire, he looked slightly disgruntled.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Severus, but I need to speak with you here," Lucius said, situating himself back in his chair.

"It better be important," Severus growled. Lucius heard him say goodbye to someone outside of the area of the fire call, and then he disappeared. Only a moment later, the full Potions Master appeared in front of the Malfoy patriarch.

"Thank you," Lucius said, offering Severus the chair next to his. Severus summoned a bottle of brandy and poured himself a glass.

"Now, what exactly is so important?" the dark haired man asked, sipping the amber drink.

"The old coot knows about you and Luna," Lucius said softly, skipping all small talk. With Severus, if he skirted around the issue, it would serve to only anger him.

Severus froze, the glass halfway to his lips. "How?"

"Harry and I went to ask Dumbledore about sharing quarters at Hogwarts, as we are bonded. You would know about his feelings on teacher-student relationships, and it accidentally slipped out that there was a teacher-student relationship. He instantly knew it was you," Lucius said bitterly. "I was able to deflect his Legilimency, but Harry, unfortunately, was not."

"That boy was a failure during our Occlumency lessons," Severus growled, resisting the urge to slam the glass down on the arm of the chair. Lucius glared at him.

"'That boy' is my soul mate, Severus," Lucius nearly snarled, his anger piqued by the insult to his Harry. "Besides, it was he who convinced Dumbledore to leave you alone. He told the old man that you were hardly the kind of person to take advantage of Luna, and that he could gather that when you loved, it was with your whole heart. I take it he wasn't wrong?" Lucius' eyebrows were raised questioningly.

"I suppose not," Severus said slowly, a little shocked that Harry had been able to say such things.

"I doubt Dumbledore will extend any sort of punishment towards you. Are you…" Lucius asked, quizzically looking at his friend.

"Luna and I have not had the chance to find out," Severus said stiffly. "I do not yet feel comfortable asking her for such a thing. She needs to be ready first." Lucius smiled.

"Have you tried the spell to discover it?" the blond asked, still smiling. Severus may be rather sour, but his morals were commendable. Severus shook his head. "It can only strengthen your point to Dumbledore if you are. If not, that could be detrimental to your relationship."

"I'm content not knowing yet. I'm very happy with her, Lucius, and I'd rather not take the chance that we are not soul mates," Severus said. Lucius nodded his agreement.

"As it is the last day of the holidays, would you care to bring Luna so the two of you join us for dinner? I'm sure Harry would like to see Luna," Lucius said.

"We had no plans. What time?"

"Seven. Don't bother dressing up."

"Who are you and what have you done with Lucius Malfoy? You would never pass up an opportunity to be dressed fancily."

Lucius chuckled. "I don't want this to be too stiff. A last day for me to enjoy Harry's company for a few days. Dumbledore couldn't do the required spells in a single day, apparently." He rolled his eyes.

"He's going senile," Severus said with a small smile.

"He went senile long ago."

**A/N**: Sorry, this took longer than I thought it would to write. .

I just got into one of those moods where writing was difficult and I just didn't want to do it. But I finished this chapter! Yayyy!

Plus, I really didn't have much inspiration, guys. I got three reviews on the last chapter. _**THREE.**_ Readers, I AM DISAPPOINT.

Well, I guess it's better than none. So I am very thankful to those who _did_ review. Please send me a little more love this time? –shining eyes-

Love, Amy Ehren


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Six reviews in two hours for the last chapter! –has happy fit- Thank you so so so so much to every single person who reviewed or even put this on alert or favorited it. It makes me happy. (: I love you guys. –sniffs-

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The six people sat down to dinner in the large dining room. Lucius sat at the head of the table, with Harry on his right, Draco and Blaise next to Harry, and Severus and Luna on Lucius' left. Luna looked dazzling in a white sun dress. Harry repeatedly saw Severus sneaking looks at her, his eyes filled with admiration and affection.

"Have you set a date yet, Harry?" Luna asked as she sipped a fruity white wine. "Your ring is lovely."

"I forgot how observant you are," Harry said, half chuckling, and half embarrassed. Well, she was the person least likely of his friends to go screaming about it. Hermione probably wouldn't, but she'd scream anyways when she found out. "No, not yet. I think we're waiting until after I finish Hogwarts." Harry looked questioningly at Lucius.

"That seems appropriate. Perhaps it could be the same time as Draco's and Blaise's?" he mused, looking to his son.

"You're getting married?" Draco yelped, looking from his father to Harry and back again. "Thanks for telling me!" Blaise snorted in laughter at how indignant Draco was.

"He only proposed a few days ago, Draco!" Harry came to Lucius' defense.

"Oh. Well then. I suppose having a double wedding would be good. One less occasion for people to get piss-faced," Draco mused, a small smile on his face.

"Ooh, I can wear my yellow robes again," Luna said rather dreamily. "It brings joy to the marriage, you know." Severus looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

"A guest wearing yellow does?" he asked. Luna nodded, smiling. "Don't make me match, please." Harry burst out laughing and Severus glared at him.

"I'm sorry," Harry managed between bouts of laughing. It gradually subsided to giggles, and everyone else at the table looked at him as if he'd gone insane. "I just pictured the both of you in yellow and then Snape in black and it reminded me of a bumblebee!" He began to laugh anew. To his disappointment, no one else found it nearly as humorous as he did, until Lucius began to chuckle.

"I'd like to see you in yellow, Severus," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Don't you dare," Severus growled. Lucius smirked, the smirk widening when the wordless, wandless spell he cast successfully turned Severus' robes yellow. The color on the Potions Master coupled with his positively murderous expression caused everyone with the exception of Luna to howl with laughter. She did smile a bit, though.

"It suits you," Draco managed to choke out as he laughed, tears coming to his eyes.

"It makes you look much happier," Luna said, taking one of Severus' hands. "But you look very unusual with it." Severus returned his robes to their normal black and glared at the other occupants of the table until they quieted down. Harry looked apologetically at Severus.

"Sorry, that was kind of my fault," he said sheepishly.

"Don't do it again," Severus said, narrowing his eyes at Harry. Luna put a hand over the Potions Master's and smiled gently. His anger subsided and gaze softened at her touch. He turned to her with such tenderness that Harry was taken aback. He had never seen the man so much as smile before tonight.

"How exactly did you get together?" Harry asked, genuinely curious and tired of trying to figure it out himself.

"It wasn't a case of declaration of undying love," Severus said, rolling his eyes and smirking a little. "And it wasn't physical attraction, though that is a small part of it."

"Our relationship is based on intellect, you know," Luna said with a smile. "Though he doesn't believe that the Nargles that were in the mistletoe we got caught under had something to do with it. Nargles strengthen your feelings if you're afraid of showing them." She said this very matter-of-factly.

"It wasn't the Nargles, for the umpteenth time," Severus said. Luna turned to him. "It provided an opportunity to act."

Sensing a debate about to begin, Lucius "accidentally" dropped his empty glass on the table. The sudden noise surprised Luna and Severus, and they turned to look at the older blond. With a slight shrug, he repaired the glass and put it back in its rightful place.

With that, a house elf served their food, and the six of them ate with amiable conversation until Severus and Luna bid their goodbye at the end of the meal.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry met Ron and Hermione at King's Cross, where the brown-haired girl threw her arms around Harry. He stumbled backwards, taken aback by the force of her hug.

"Did it work?" she whispered, still clinging to his neck.

"I have so much to tell you on the train," Harry responded with a smile. She detached herself from Harry's neck and grinned. She smirked when Lucius came up behind Harry and put a hand on his shoulder, making the raven-haired man jump. Lucius nodded to Hermione and pulled Harry aside.

"We haven't gone public with our relationship, so I won't say the goodbye I had wanted to," Lucius said softly, resisting the urge to take one of Harry's hands and just kiss the man senseless in front of an audience.

"I can fix that," Harry said softly, moving until he was very close to the blond. He cast a spell that would essentially make them invisible to anyone watching curiously and put his hand on the back of Lucius' head, pulling him down. He kissed Lucius firmly, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Lucius reciprocated, then pulled away slowly. No tongue in public, he thought, especially when they were saying goodbye.

"Only two days until you'll be joining me," Harry said before he removed the spell that had hidden them and waved to the blond. Lucius waved back, unsure he could wait the two days. Draco came up to Lucius to say his goodbye to his father. With a brief embrace, they said their goodbye and parted.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Back on the train, Draco and Blaise had decided to join Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna in their compartment. Neither of them really wanted to deal with Pansy. They had broken the news to Mr. And Mrs. Parkinson a few days before, and they had taken it rather well. In fact, they had been happy for them. They had asked the parents to tell Pansy so that they didn't have to deal with her just yet.

"Harry, you have to tell me everything!" Hermione squealed, grabbing both of Harry's hands enthusiastically.

"Ow, 'Mione, I'll tell you everything if you stop crushing the bones in my hand," Harry said, rubbing his hands when the brown-haired girl let go. She grinned sheepishly.

"So I guess it worked then?" she asked, referring to their plan for Harry to seduce Lucius.

"Turns out that was his plan too," Harry giggled a little. He recounted everything that happened, from pouring out his story about his home life with the Dursleys to Christmas to the proposal, leaving out the fact that Narcissa had been killed. He explained that they were soul mates, and what it meant. He also left out Luna and Severus' relationship.

"…When I got to the bottom of my wine, there was a silver band inside the glass!" Harry said, gushing with excitement over it, showing the ring to Hermione, who shrieked in joy. "He took the ring out of the glass, got down on one knee, and proposed!" His smile was absolutely radiant.

"So that's how he did it," Draco remarked with a small smile. Harry nodded and Hermione looked so happy, Draco was worried the girl's face would split.

"I can't believe you and his dad are soul mates," Ron said, gesturing towards Draco. He looked a little shell-shocked, but he wasn't angry.

"I couldn't really believe it at first, either," Harry admitted. "But I wasn't upset by it in any means." He grinned.

"What's your mark?" Ron asked. At Harry's slightly confused expression, he clarified. "What does it look like? Where is it?"

"Oh, I don't actually know what it looks like other than it glows," Harry said. "Here, I'll show you." He exposed his shoulder and tapped his finger against the spot. Ron watched the shape grow golden and then fade.

"Bloody hell, mate. It's golden," Ron said in disbelief. "I guess you really are perfect for each other."

Hermione turned to Draco and Blaise. "Did you tell Draco's dad about you?"

"How did you know about us?" Draco asked, his jaw hanging.

"I'm Head Girl," she said smugly. "Nowhere is off-limits. Let's just say you should make sure you're not in a patrolled area after-hours when you're feeling romantic. Just because I thought it was sweet and left you alone doesn't mean anyone else will." She raised her eyebrows at them. "Got it?"

"Yeah…" Their blushes were rival to Ron's hair. "Thanks for not telling anyone. But yes, we told my father. He had kind of figured it out on his own, but he wasn't upset at all. He decided that he didn't want to risk my happiness for a grandchild. After all, he's got Harry now." Draco half smiled. "I never thought I'd say that about my father. He seemed so miserable with my mother. I'm actually kind of glad you showed up."

Suddenly, after a moment of scrutinizing Draco's hand, Hermione noticed what was different about it. To the worry of the compartment's other members, she squealed, seemingly without reason, and clapped her hands.

"Hermione?" Harry asked slowly. She grabbed Draco's hand and held it up. The blond looked at her as though she had lost her mind.

"You're getting married too!"

Harry had never seen Hermione this excited before, and truthfully, it worried him a little. As much as he loved her, she was going a little crazy.

"Yes we are," Blaise said with a warm smile towards Draco.

"Hermione, you're going a little crazy, you know that, right?" Harry asked, eyeing her warily.

"I can't help it! I love weddings, and I _am_ a girl. We all love gay guys and weddings, and when they go together…" Hermione sighed and tittered a little. She was incredibly pleased with the way their breaks had gone.

"Well how was your break?" Harry asked, eager to distract her from her obsessive joy. As much as it made Harry grateful that she was happy, it was a little uncharacteristic.

"It was fine. My parents and I spent Christmas Day at the Burrow," she said with a smile. Ron gave her a sheepish look. "My parents and Ron's dad got into a discussion about electricity. Don't ever let that happen again."

"Dad nearly blew up her parents' little portable thing like I called you in once!" Ron said brightly. Harry snorted.

"A cell phone?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" the redhead replied enthusiastically. Harry laughed and Draco snickered.

"Anything else happen on Christmas?" Harry asked, looking pointedly at Ron. Hermione grinned.

"He actually asked me out, finally!" she said proudly. Draco looked between Ron and Hermione and raised his eyebrows.

"I thought you were already going out," he said confusedly.

"Technically we were, but he hadn't actually asked me," Hermione said. "But he finally plucked up the courage to do it as a Christmas present to me. Oh! Harry! When we get back to school, I have your Christmas present!" Harry chuckled.

"No rush, Hermione," he assured her. She smiled.

"I would have gotten you guys something, but I was kind of… preoccupied," he said, his cheeks turning a faint pink. Hermione snorted in laughter, and Ron rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, we understand," Hermione said with a wink. Draco smirked; the Gryffindors weren't _all_ bad.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

If there was one thing that Harry looked forward to upon his return, it was the feast. The food at Malfoy Manor had been fine, but the food at Hogwarts was simply heavenly. Now, seated happily at the Gryffindor table, he looked up to see Draco and Blaise settling themselves next to them.

"Are you allowed to do that?" Harry asked blankly.

"Are you saying you don't want us here?" Blaise asked, faking a wounded look. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Look, I spent the holidays with you. I don't really care if you sit here, I just don't know if it's allowed," Harry said, giving Blaise a light shove. The sound of a spoon tapping a glass caught their attention. Dumbledore was standing, ready to make a speech by the looks of it.

"Students of Hogwarts!" he proclaimed, a smile lighting his face. "I believe we should all follow Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini's example. Except at the end-of-year feast, students are free to sit at any house table with their friends!" He clapped his hands and motioned for them to go-to. No one moved until a tiny Hufflepuff girl stood up and walked to the Ravenclaw table, her friend moving over to make room for her. Suddenly, the hall was alive with movement from table to table.

When everyone was settled again, the food appeared. As Harry ate, he glanced over at the Slytherin table. He shuddered a little at the look of utter loathing that Pansy was giving him. At first, he'd thought she was glaring at Draco and Blaise, but she was glaring at _him. _He looked away, determined to forget the rancor in her eyes.

The food disappeared from the plates, all students sated, and some bloated. The cooking at Hogwarts was too good for the students' weight management. As Dumbledore stood to make a speech of sorts, most likely just reminders, another student stood: Pansy. All eyes turned to her.

"Why is _he_ still here?" she screeched, pointing an accusing finger at Harry. He raised his eyebrows, confused. She narrowed her eyes at him, completely undignified as she climbed over the tables to reach him.

"He ruined my arranged marriage!" Pansy sobbed, making sure the entire hall could hear her. "Draco found someone else and it's all _Potter's fault!" _Harry snorted in laughter. He looked to Draco, who rolled his eyes and nodded at the unasked question.

"My fault?" he asked quietly. "I do believe that Draco and this particular person have been together since third year. You have no right to blame me."

"I don't care! It's still your fault! You came along and softened up Draco's dad so that he wouldn't want Draco to marry me any more. How many people's lives have you ruined?" she asked, her hand reaching towards his throat, her other hand drawing her wand. No one wanted to intervene; Harry was perfectly capable of defending himself, but Pansy's wand replaced the hand on his throat. Oddly enough, the only thing Harry could think in the situation was that hell really hath no fury like a woman scorned, rather than the fact that Pansy was liable to throw every painful, inconvenient hex she knew at him. "I bet you got Draco's dad to agree with it by sleeping with him. I bet you even slept with Draco so that he'd stop loving me. Whore! Slut!" She spat the last words.

The entire hall, even the teachers, gasped at the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Pansy fell to the floor, clutching her cheek. She looked up at the man who slapped her in shock.

"Don't _ever_ accuse my _fiancée_ of being a whore," Lucius growled, his voice dangerously silky. She hurriedly stumbled to her feet and ran out of the hall.

The rest of the students simply stared in shock. Harry threw his arms around Lucius, planting a sweet kiss on his lips.

"How did you get here? When did you get here?" Harry asked, a bit confused but not complaining.

"I told you, if one of us is in danger while the other is not around, the other will be taken to them," he said softly. "I felt the pull and saw Pansy moving in to strangle you. I heard the last few things she said."

Draco cleared his throat loudly and Harry looked around, suddenly acutely aware of all the utterly confused people staring at him. He pulled away from Lucius' embrace.

"I'm going to tell everyone. They might as well know now," Harry said with a shrug. Lucius gave him a simple nod to tell him it was fine.

"Well, after that post-dinner show," Harry said loudly, eliciting a few chuckles, "I should probably explain everything to you. I'm sure you all saw the newspaper article of me kissing Lucius Malfoy before the holidays." A few people made the connection then and there, but most were still confused. "I spent the holidays at Malfoy Manor, and, through the course of the holidays, discovered that Lucius and I are soul mates." A couple of the pureblood students who knew about the soul mate process snickered and Harry blushed. "We're getting married after graduation." There were cheers, and, to Harry's amusement, cries of anguish from several girls. A few boys looked disappointed too.

"Now that we've got that settled, students off to your Common Rooms or to bed!" Dumbledore announced. "Harry and Lucius, could you please stay for a moment?" They nodded and turned to Albus while the rest of the hall emptied.

**A/N:** Holy crap that took a long time to write. . I started it the day that I uploaded the last chapter, but my life kind of took a turn for the worse and I had way too much shit to sort out, and that kind of took precedence. I think this chapter kind of reflects how disjointed my life was these past few weeks. My entire grade screwed up big time. We're not very smart for seniors.

It was just this big mess of emotions and I ate an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food ice cream that day. That's the way it left me feeling, and I was just not going to write while I felt like that.

I feel really bad for not getting it up there earlier! . I'm very grateful to everyone who reviewed though! I got quite a lot of reviews and I got very motivated the first day and then… All that happened. But thanks for sticking with me and putting up with my inability to stay on schedule. XD I won't be like "Review or I won't update!" this time since I kind of didn't do what I meant to…

And last thing: It's going to be a pretty sporadic update schedule, probably pretty spread out. We're just about to hell week for the show I'm in, so that's eating my time like NOM NOM NOM. Thanks guys!

~Amy Ehren


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** I… uh… This is really, really fluffy. Uh… I kind of lost my little plot bunny and it came out a lot of fluff. O_O;;

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry and Lucius stood in front of Dumbledore, their fingers entwined. He had that serene smile on his face, and Harry knew he had something planned. He looked up to Lucius' face, smiling at the slightly aggressive expression he was directing towards Dumbledore while unconsciously pulling Harry closer to him.

The old man looked between the two men standing in front of him, and had to suppress a wider smile at Lucius' animosity. He looked over their heads and gave a very pointed look to a few people who had tried to stay behind to hear what would happen. The students scurried off in panic, leaving the Great Hall empty. Dumbledore clapped his hands together.

"Now that we don't have any eavesdroppers, I would like to say that what just happened was quite entertaining," he said, examining the joints in his fingers.

"So Pansy attacking me was entertaining?" Harry asked, a little indignant. His emotions were already running a little high, and he started to get a little angry.

"She couldn't have hurt you beyond any minor hexes, or ones that can be fixed easily by Madame Pomfrey. Really, with her skill level, the most that Hogwarts' newly acquired preventative wards would allow would be something along the lines of large boils in uncomfortable places. However, she still had intent to harm you, which is why Lucius is now here," Dumbledore explained.

"Hogwarts has preventative wards?" Harry asked, confused. "Then wouldn't they stop certain spells from being used in classes?"

"No. The wards sense intention. Besides, the wards allow much more in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Transfiguration classrooms, especially for the higher year students, who, as you know, practice more powerful and often, darker spells."

"That might have been nice to know. I was terrified she was going to kill me! Would have been bloody helpful to know Hogwarts would have stopped her," Harry growled. Lucius squeezed his hand.

"Have you finished with the spells to make our quarters yet?" Lucius asked, a little irritated. The old man chuckled.

"Not quite, but since you're here, I suppose I can finish them now. Fourth floor. Only you will be able to find them. Now, I shall bid you goodnight and finish." With that, Dumbledore swept from the Hall, leaving Lucius and Harry completely alone.

"I'm glad my son is no longer in a contract with that bitch. She would have been just like Narcissa, I can see it," Lucius said softly. Harry smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Well, no one was hurt. I mean, I was pretty scared, but the only injury from this was you slapping her," Harry said, beginning to giggle a little. "That was hilarious, by the way." Harry pulled Lucius over to one of the benches, sitting down and putting his head on the blonde's shoulder.

"It's what she deserved," he said simply, taking his hand from Harry's so he could wrap it around his waist. He took Harry's hand with his other one now, raising it to his lips and gently kissing the knuckles. "I'm glad you're all right."

Harry saw the concern and love in Lucius' eyes and smiled a soft smile. He turned, taking his hand out of Lucius', and putting both arms around his neck, pulled himself in closer and gently kissed Lucius. It was a feather-light touch first, just barely a kiss. Harry kissed him again, a little firmer, planting smaller kisses on the corners of Lucius' mouth. He pulled away, gazing at Lucius through his eyelashes.

"I love you," he whispered, wrapping his arms around the blonde's torso. Lucius cradled Harry, stroking his hair.

"You know I love you too. Otherwise, I would never have proposed and the mark on your shoulder wouldn't be gold. I don't care what I have to do. I will protect you," Lucius vowed, and Harry looked up at him.

"When we get married, can that be part of your vows?" Harry asked softly, his cheeks turning a faint pink. "I mean, I want to protect you too, but I feel like it'll end up being you having to protect me from crazy people who are obsessed with my fame or angry at me for destroying Voldemort." A sigh escaped from his lips before he continued. "I sometimes wish someone else had been chosen for that. But I realize that it had to be me. I just wish the fame hadn't come with it."

"I want to keep you safe," Lucius said, pushing Harry away slightly so that he could gently take a hold of Harry's face and look him directly in the eyes. "Yes, I've tried to kill you, I've tried to hurt you, and I dedicated my time, energy, and life to a madman who wanted nothing but to oppress those he saw as inferior. Many of my former… cohorts, I suppose… will turn on me the moment they discover this. Many of them already despise me for being able to bribe my way out of Azkaban. My first goal, however, is not my safety from them. I know their weaknesses, and have been able to use that knowledge to my advantage. For example, and I am sure you despised me for it, that bumbling idiot Fudge is a greedy pig, and readily gobbled the gold I dangled just within his reach. He was all too easy to coerce. After Scrimgeour came to power, I didn't have the same influence over the Minister of Magic anymore. But that was during the Dark Lord's rise, and a simple mention of him, and Scrimgeour was crawling at my feet." Harry was alarmed by the cruel pleasure evident in Lucius' tone, seeing, for the first time since he had discovered their bond, the malicious, manipulative side of Lucius that so many people feared and hated, and damn was it unnerving. Lucius saw the fear and nervousness in Harry's eyes and leaned in to kiss his forehead gently. "I got a little carried away. Where I had been intending to get to was the point where I said that none of those people matter to me. I can easily exploit human weakness to protect myself. But you, you are too kind to do any such thing, and I know you are not weak, but you do not have the same mean streak that I do. I can make people cower with a simple glare. Just know that I intend to use that part of myself to protect you. I love you, Harry Potter, for the person you are, not the hero you're made out to be."

Harry stared into Lucius' face for a moment, and a smile broke across his face before he threw him arms around the blonde's neck and kissed him soundly. Lucius pulled away in alarm when he tasted salt and saw that there were, in fact, tears running down his face. Lucius wiped them away with his thumb, giving Harry an asking look, concern evident on his face.

"I'm just so happy," Harry said, slightly embarrassed, but laughing through the crying, trying to maintain control over his voice, blushing when it broke on "happy." He couldn't keep the grin off his face, but it shrank slightly when he began to explain more thoroughly. "No one ever seems concerned with my welfare, except when I'm supposed to be doing something important. Just going to Diagon Alley, or to Hogsmeade, they don't care whether or not I get mobbed by obsessed fans or if someone attempts to kidnap me." He chuckled, holding up a hand when Lucius opened his mouth. "Some fourth year and her friends tried to hold me prisoner in Madame Puddifoot's. I hate that tea shop," he hissed, thinking of the memories of the place. "That wasn't too bad, except for that horrible tea. But there could have been worse, and the Ministry, besides Kingsley, didn't give two shits. Even though he wanted to help, Kingsley is just too busy." Harry sighed. "Even Ron and Hermione don't really get it. They're the best, besides you, about it, but even so, they sometimes don't understand just what it feels like and means to be so famous for something they never asked to be saddled with, and for something that was difficult, yes, but should not be glorified as only able to be done by me. It would have been incredibly dangerous for someone else, but I still wish I hadn't been so alone. Did you know the first time I faced Voldemort after I was a baby was when I was eleven?" Lucius' eyebrows shot up. "At least I had plenty of experience. I first faced him when I was eleven. Then, when I was twelve, his memory from the Horcrux diary set the Basilisk on me in the Chamber of Secrets." Harry glared at Lucius here. "Yes, the same diary you gave Ginny Weasley, remember? That pissed me off so I set Dobby free. Then you tried to kill me," Harry recalled, snorting in laughter. "Next time I met Voldemort was when I was fourteen, after the Triwizard Tournament's third task. I could have died there too, but the most basic of spells saved me. You were there. I'm sure you remember."

"This is taking its toll on you. I know what happened from then on. Maybe we should go to our room. There are better ways to spend a night with my young fiancée than talking about the past that you obviously dislike," Lucius said. Harry smiled.

"Much better ways," Harry said softly, his lips curving into a smirk. He stood up and helped Lucius to his feet, taking his hand and holding it as they left the Hall, headed for the fourth floor.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The two of them found Dumbledore tucking away his wand with a small smile on his face. The entrance to their rooms was the painting of a shockingly beautiful young man, with long, silver hair, who wore practically nothing besides a pair of knee-length, tight breeches. His chest and arms were covered in a dark tattoo that swirled and weaved itself around the inked curls, like a snake. Harry looked into the painting's pale face, noting the slightly brazen smirk as he tossed his hair, scrutinizing the ends. The painting's eyes were silver, though as Harry looked more, he saw flecks of emerald in them.

"This is Hallwill. He is a shape-shifter, though this is his natural shape. Not a Metamorphogus, but a true shape-shifter. He lived before even the time of the founders of Hogwarts, the father of both the Malfoy and the Potter lines, though at the time, it was the Malvolio and Peverell lines. He fathered two men from his own flesh. They went their separate ways and, in time, the two's families have lost relation to one another. You, Harry, have no relation in blood to Lucius, unless you trace back to the very beginning of your family. Hallwill is your guardian. He is a special painting. This frame is not just his memory. He is in the painting. Shape-shifters as old as Hallwill were taught the secrets of immortality, and he has agreed to watch over the first reunion of his children's blood," Dumbledore explained. Then, in a low voice he added, "He's also a bit of a trickster. Be careful." With that, the man strode off.

"Sir? What's the password?" Harry called after him. Dumbledore turned and looked over his shoulder.

"There is no password. You'll need to ask Hallwill to let you in," he said before turning a corner and disappearing from sight.

Harry turned to Lucius and smiled. He pulled the tall blonde down and kissed him. "Well, we should spend our night better than waiting out here," he whispered and Lucius smirked.

"May we enter?" Lucius asked, turning to the painting. Hallwill's smirk widened and the painting's forest background turned to that of a doorway. It swung open. Harry looked at Lucius in confusion.

"You can either stand there or enter." They both turned to look at the painted man, who was suddenly real, standing outside of his painting and next to them.

"Step into the painting?" Harry asked, incredulous. Hallwill nodded, and all but pushed the dark-haired boy inside. Lucius nearly leapt in after him, much to the shape-shifter's amusement. He followed them in, the doorway reverting to the forest.

Once inside, Lucius and Harry looked around, just barely exploring the few rooms before going back to the entrance, a living room with a fire and several comfortable-looking chairs and a couch. A large table sat near the center of the room for work.

"There is this room, and also a bathroom and bedroom. These rooms can also grow for guests or," Hallwill began to giggle, "for when you have a spat and one if you has to sleep somewhere else." Harry couldn't help but smile a little at the statement. "Lucius, your House-Elves can get in to these rooms. I would suggest you ask them to bring clothes from your Manor." With that, Hallwill gave them a knowing, suggestive smile, walking back to his painting.

Harry turned to Lucius, the same smile on his face that Hallwill had. He put on an act of nonchalance as he reached up and curled Lucius' hair around his fingers, his fingernails occasionally intentionally brushing against Lucius' neck. Lucius seemed to purr in delight to Harry's actions, reaching out to grab Harry's waist and pull their bodies together. It was Harry's turn to let out a small moan when Lucius ground against him and pulled him into a hungry kiss.

Harry opened his mouth and Lucius' tongue darted in, exploring the cavern that soon he would have memorized. Lucius was still grinding into him, and Harry's hips rolled into the taller blonde's body. By that point, he was hard as a rock, and wanted nothing other than for Lucius to rip his clothes off and fuck him into the mattress.

Lucius pulled away from the kiss, panting slightly, their bodies temporarily motionless. Harry looked into Lucius' lust-filled eyes, pewter colored from desire. They stood there for a moment.

"Fuck me," Harry hissed, and that was all it took for Lucius to set his mouth on Harry's neck, frenziedly licking, sucking, biting the delicate flesh, sure to leave his mark on the pale beauty.

Pausing for a moment, Lucius looked up at Harry, and the younger man understood the question perfectly. A wicked grin spread over his face, and Lucius smirked in return.

"Don't bother with the bedroom," Harry murmured, his lips brushing Lucius' ear. "I want you to bend me over that table and fuck me as hard as you can."

Lucius shivered with the reverberations of Harry's voice, entirely pleased with Harry's request. His cock responded as well, straining more than it had before against his pants. The nearly-command had surprised him, but it seemed they were both in the mood to be rough and hard.

Lucius muttered a spell and the work of undressing was done. He pulled his fiancée over to the table, first leaning down to lick one of Harry's nipples. The raven-haired man moaned, roughly grabbing some of Lucius' hair. To his surprise, the blonde let out a pleased groan when Harry tugged on his hair. Lucius straightened up and Harry's hands left his head.

The tall man licked Harry's lips once, then turned him around, placing one hand between his shoulder blades and pushing him down so that his torso lay on the table, his ass fully exposed. With a silent preparation charm and lubrication spell, Lucius put one finger in, then two, then three, in quick succession, scissoring his fingers, stretching out the delicate flesh that would tear if not properly prepared. Harry moaned, thrusting back onto the fingers that just barely brushed his prostate. He let out a slight cry of dismay as the fingers left him, but shouted out when he felt the tip of Lucius' cock beginning to penetrate him.

"Oh fuck yes, Lucius," Harry moaned, his back arching as Lucius entered him slowly from behind. "Oh God move!"

Lucius had to smile at Harry's commanding attitude, but obeyed instantly, beginning to slowly thrust, but building his pace until his was moving as fast as he could, slamming his cock into Harry. The black haired man knew he would have bruises on his hips from constantly hitting the table, but fuck did it feel good to have his cock rub against the polished wood while Lucius rammed him fast and hard. Suddenly, Lucius hit the spot that made him see stars, and as Lucius hit over and over, Harry came harder than he had ever before, actually blacking out for a moment when he felt Lucius come inside of him.

Exhausted, Lucius leaned down, resting his chest on Harry's back. He lay there for a few minutes, surprisingly comfortable. He felt Harry stir, waking from his black-out. Lucius pulled out of Harry's ass and helped him stand up. Harry looked down at his hipbones and saw the bruises already forming there. They would hurt like hell, but the way he got them was fantastic. He grinned at Lucius and at the obvious satisfaction on the blonde's face.

"That was amazing," Harry said, wincing a little as he took a step. His ass was already slightly sore. "But where're my clothes? And also, we should probably clean the table." Lucius nodded a little dumbly, waving his hand. The clothes flew to their respective owners, and the both of them dressed then took a look at the table. Lucius chuckled a little bit at the come that had made it nearly halfway across the wooden surface. He pulled his wand out of his robes, muttering a cleaning spell that made the table look as if nothing had happened on it.

"That was a much better way to spend some of the night than other ways I can think of," Lucius said, mostly recovered from his exhaustion after their sex. Suddenly, Harry laughed. Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I just realized that it was pointless to get dressed since we're going to sleep," Harry laughed, finding it much funnier than it actually was. "I mean, I'd like to sleep, I'm tired after that." Lucius smirked.

"How about a bath with me?" he asked, holding out his hand. Harry grinned and nodded, following his lover to the bathroom.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry sat in the warm water, his back against Lucius' chest. It was a small bathtub, but it was perfect for the two of them together like that. They had done most of the washing, now just sitting together in peace.

"I really, really love you, Lucius," Harry said softly, leaning his head on the crook of Lucius' shoulder. A knock on the bathroom door startled both of them, but neither really moved.

The door opened and Hallwill entered, his silver eyes shining. He smiled at them, placing towels on the counter. Both Harry and Lucius gave him an odd look, feeling rather awkward about the intrusion.

"Classes resume tomorrow. It is past midnight. I came along to encourage you to hurry. I apologize for the intrusion," Hallwill said, turning and leaving the bathroom. Harry sighed and reluctantly got out of the water, grabbing a towel for himself and handing the other to Lucius. He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist while Lucius simply spelled himself dry and similarly put the towel around his own waist. Harry smiled at his blonde fiancée and led him into the bedroom, where they lay down together, towels discarded, limbs entwined.

"I didn't tell you earlier since Hallwill interrupted us, but I truly love you," Lucius whispered, kissing Harry's forehead. Harry smiled before he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

**A/N:** About time I finished writing that. Great Gaga that was hard to write. o_O;; I'm not sure why it took me so long and I had so little inspiration. Hmm. Once I hit the sex scene though, it was just like "Oooh now I have too much to write!" There's not much plot-wise, but I like it. :3 It's also very very fluffy and kind of cheesy. Oh well, I'm that kind of person every so often.

Please don't kill me for not updating in a very long time! I'm sorry! I'll try to do better. It really just depends on my inspiration.

Also, please review. :D

Love you all and I'm glad those of you who have it on story alert or favorite story like it!

~Amy Ehren


	19. Chapter 19

The morning sun filtered in through the nicely sized window in the bedroom. Harry was rudely awoken by a dog jumping onto his chest and licking his face. He pushed the dog off him and rubbed his eyes, reaching over and feeling the bedside table for his glasses. He put them on his face and saw the dog, a small, silver Pomeranian, giving him an amused look. Harry picked it up, trying to keep from waking Lucius up beside him.

"Where did you come from?" he asked, still slightly asleep, and consequently, not thinking of the information from the previous night. The dog struggled out of his grasp and leapt to the floor. Harry watched in awe as the small dog began to change, first growing, the fur receding, then the paw began to turn to fingers and the rest of the body into a human shape. Still watching in awe, Harry remembered that Hallwill was a shape-shifter, blushing when the fully-human Hallwill rolled his eyes at him.

"You didn't seem likely to awake unless I woke you," Hallwill said, crossing his arms over his bare chest. He raised a slender eyebrow and smirked when Harry looked down and scrambled to cover himself.

"What is with you and coming in when I'm naked? I mean, first the bath, now this?" Harry asked, blushing fiercely and trying to look angry. Hallwill giggled, absent-mindedly cleaning under his long, well-manicured nails.

"It appears you seem to be naked whenever I offer my assistance. I don't do it on purpose, you understand," the shape-shifter said, the natural impudence in his eyes shining through. "I am here as both a servant and protector. And so far, you've been naked when needing service. It's not my fault." Hallwill sounded remarkably immature for the father of two ancient bloodlines.

"Just how old are you?" Harry asked curiously. Hallwill glared at him.

"I will answer when I feel the time is right to tell you. And it will be when the two of you are awake and together. And preferably, clothed."

"Fine." Harry raised his hands in defeat. He glanced out the window. "Uhh… how long do I have until classes start?"

"I woke you with plenty of time. Breakfast began a short time ago, and you have an hour until your first class," Hallwill said. He turned and left the room. Harry turned to his still-sleeping fiancée. He leaned down and gently kissed the blonde's cheek before standing up and stretching. He groaned, looking down to his hips. The bruises were an angry purple, rimmed with red. He gingerly pressed a finger to one and hissed. He'd have to ask Hermione if there was any sort of spell to make bruises painless.

Walking to his trunk, which he hadn't noticed before, he realized how much his ass hurt. He'd have to ask Hermione about a spell for that too. It had been absolutely fantastic, but everything seemed to hurt if he thought about it. He leaned down to pick up clothes, groaning as his spine popped. He dressed quickly and walked back over to the bed.

"I'll see you later," he whispered to Lucius, kissing him one more time before he left their rooms.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry soon found that he walked rather awkwardly in order to have the least pain. He was silently but fervently hoping that Hermione was down in the Great Hall already. Most students were already at breakfast, and usually, it was full of chatter, but the moment Harry walked in, everyone stopped their conversation and turned to look at him. He blushed, trying to walk as normally as possible to the Gryffindor table, where he did, in fact, find Hermione next to Ron.

"Morning," he said, and they grinned.

"Where were you last night, eh?" Ron asked, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows. Harry glared at him.

"Lucius convinced Dumbledore to finish up on our rooms a day early, so I spent the night there," Harry replied, his eyes narrowed. "Speaking of which…" His voice dropped so that only his two friends could hear it. "Hermione, do you know of any spells that are a pain reliever?"

"What were _you_ doing last night, I wonder?" Hermione said with an almost evil chuckle. She paused, obviously racking her brains for any ideas of spells. "Oh! There is one, but it requires some privacy to perform." She blushed a little. "If you're talking about where I think you're talking about, maybe you should ask Lucius to perform the spell."

"He's still asleep. I don't want to wake him up," Harry said, still standing next to the bench. Hermione sighed.

"You owe me, Mr. Potter," Hermione said definitively, standing up and pulling out her wand. "Let's go to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Least chance of anyone coming in." Harry followed her as quickly as he could.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry desperately hoped no one walked in to the bathroom unexpectedly. It would be a very awkward scenario to explain, he thought, as he unbuttoned his pants. Hermione had explained that her wand needed to make direct contact with the area that hurt. It was an unusual magic, but very effective.

"Hell, Harry, what _did_ you do?" Hermione asked as she saw the bruises on his hips over the waistband of his boxers. Her jaw had dropped, her eyes wide. "Those look nasty." She leaned over and scrutinized them, causing Harry to turn red.

"I can trust you with this, 'Mione," Harry said, his face growing hotter as he spoke. "I made Lucius have sex with me while I was bent over a table. It was fantastic, but everything hurts." He laughed slightly, and Hermione smirked.

"I can see that it was quite hard, was it not?" the brown-haired girl asked, trying to keep her composure as she gently pressed the tip of her wand into one bruise. Harry hissed in pain. "Sorry," she amended quickly, muttering something under her breath. "Okay, press on the bruise now." He did, and found no pain. He grinned at her.

"Sometimes I wonder why Ron and I were ever such prats to you," he said brightly, but also apologetically. She raised an eyebrow.

"It was always Ron," she muttered, shaking her head as she performed the spell on the other bruise. "Anyways, this is the awkward part. I think I can get away with just putting my wand on the general area of your ass. I'm not getting personal like that," she said pointedly, giving him a stern look. Harry snorted.

"That's fine," Harry said. He pulled down his underwear, more than a little embarrassed as Hermione gave him an appreciative once-over.

"I'm not sure if it'll work like this, but I don't see why it shouldn't," she said, shrugging as she attempted it. "All right, go ahead and walk around."

Harry pulled up his boxers and walked around a bit, trying some awkward-looking walks to see if anything made his ass hurt. He turned to Hermione with a huge grin. He threw his arms around the bushy-haired girl and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, 'Mione," he said earnestly, gathering his clothes and getting dressed again. She smiled back at him and waited for him to finish getting dressed.

"I'm hungry, so let's go," she said as soon as Harry was dressed.

"You're sounding like Ron," Harry remarked, laughing. "But I'm hungry too. Oh! I want you and Ron to come by Lucius' and my rooms later."

"After classes," Hermione said, looping her arm through his as they walked out. "That was fantastic last night, when Lucius slapped Pansy. That bitch got what she deserved." Harry glanced at her in surprise, his eyebrows raised. She gave him a look that clearly said that it was a true statement.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The first day of class had been uneventful, though he found Potions much more bearable now that Draco was civilized towards Ron and Hermione, and downright friendly to Harry. Even Snape had backed off, realizing the dangers of being too harsh on his best friend's soul mate. Plus, and though he would never say it, he was beginning to like the boy, despite his past ideas of him.

Harry had seen Lucius at lunch, stopping by their quarters for a few minutes, just enough time to give him a kiss and tell Lucius that he was bringing Ron and Hermione by after classes were done for the day.

Now, with the classes finished for the day, he was quite pleased to be heading back to his room with Ron and Hermione. He approached Hallwill's painting, and the man raised an eyebrow, glancing towards Ron and Hermione.

"My friends," Harry said simply. "They helped me defeat Voldemort, if you doubt anything about them." Hallwill sighed and stepped out of his painting. Hermione gasped and Ron's eyes just got huge. The shape-shifter smirked, stepping closer and inspecting the bushy-haired girl and redhead. He nodded, turning. He froze for a moment, his eyes wide. He moved closer to Ron, his brow furrowed.

"Do you have siblings?" Hallwill asked Ron. Ron gave Hermione a confused look.

"I'm one of seven children," Ron said slowly. "My brother Bill is married and lives by the sea, and my brother Percy used to be a moron…" He was rambling a little.

"I can sense your blood. You have traces of another person on you, someone you're related to," Hallwill said, scrutinizing the rest of Ron. "We shape-shifters can sense the blood of our companions."

"You're a shape-shifter?" Ron yelped. Hallwill snorted in laughter and nodded. "I spent the most time with my brother Charlie during the holidays. He had to share my bedroom." Ron shrugged.

"Ron, maybe you should write Charlie and ask if he can visit on the next Hogsmeade day?" Hermione suggested, and Hallwill's eyes brightened a bit.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Ron said absently, still shocked by the presence of the shape-shifter. Hallwill smiled the first smile Harry had seen that wasn't impudent or mischievous.

"Please, come in," Hallwill said, gesturing towards the painting, which had changed to the door. The four of them entered the rooms.

Harry saw Lucius sitting in an armchair near the fireplace. It was unlit, as it was a warm day for January, and still quite bright. He walked up to him and gave him a short kiss. Lucius put down his book and stood, wrapping Harry in his arms. He gave him a gentle kiss.

"I didn't want to wake you this morning," Harry said softly.

"I wish you would have," Lucius murmured. "Although I did appreciate the sleep. Thank you." He kissed the top of Harry's head. A small noise from the other side of the room broke their moment, and Lucius looked over to see Hermione looking ready to explode.

"I knew you would end up being wonderful together!" she squealed, bouncing on her heels. "Oh I'm just so happy! God, both of you belong in Witch Weekly's 'Sexiest Wizard' section." She fanned herself with her hands.

Ron snorted in laughter at his girlfriend, then paled at the slightly evil smirk on Lucius' face. "'Mione, maybe you shouldn't have said that…" he said slowly.

Lucius turned to Harry, smirk still on his face, and Harry understood his silent question. They were going to put on a little show. Harry placed one hand on the back on Lucius' head, firmly entwining his fingers in his hair. He pulled the blonde down and licked his bottom lip with the tip of his tongue. Lucius quickly sucked Harry's tongue into his mouth, rubbing it with his own tongue. Harry moaned into Lucius' mouth, involuntarily rolling his hips into Lucius. They pulled apart, slightly flushed.

"Fuck," Harry panted, grinning up at Lucius. He suddenly remembered Ron and Hermione's presence and turned beet red, sheepishly looking over at then. Hermione's jaw was on the floor, and even Ron looked a bit flushed.

"I think we'll go now," Ron said, walking out a little awkwardly. Hallwill caught Ron's arm momentarily.

"Please write your brother. I would so like to meet him," he said, and Ron nodded. He and Hermione walked out, and Hallwill turned back to Lucius and Harry.

"Harry, I believe you wanted to ask questions about me?" he asked, taking a seat on the armchair directly across from the couch. He gestured that they should take a seat on the comfortable chair, and they did so.

"Yes. First off, what exactly are we supposed to address you by? I mean, you're the head of our bloodlines. Calling you by your name just feels awkward," Harry admitted. Hallwill chuckled.

"Do you realize how many 'greats' there would be if you were to try to call me by a title such as 'grandfather?'" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You should call me by my given name. I would like for you to see me as a friend, as well as your protector."

"That may take some getting used to," Harry said. "Exactly how old are you?"

"Well, I am older than Hogwarts itself. The four founders lived over a thousand years ago. Let's see… If I am correct, and I highly doubt I am not, I am 1,476 years old," he said, tapping his chin in thought. Harry turned to Lucius, his eyes wide. Lucius looked similarly amazed. Hallwill giggled at their expressions.

"Hallwill, what did you mean out there when you said that shape-shifters can sense the blood of their companions?" Harry asked.

"First, I should explain what a shape-shifter's companion is. It is not unlike a soul mate for wizards. However, a companion is not necessarily a sexual and romantic companion. A majority of the time, actually, a shape-shifter's companion is the one whose magic grounds that of the shape-shifter. For someone as practiced as myself, the process of changing shape has become simple, and it does not take the toll on me that it previously did. However, a young shape-shifter can only store enough power to change rarely. With practice, they learn how to use less power in their changes. Once the power conservation has been learned, more power is stored within the shape-shifter's being, and that magic, unfortunately, has a tendency to burst out without warning. The companion ensures that the shape-shifting takes even less energy, and the surplus power is given to the companion for use in a time of need," Hallwill explained. "It's difficult to explain. When a shape-shifter finds his or her companion, the knowledge comes innately to the both of them."

"Is there a difference between a pure companion, and one who acts as a mate as well?" Lucius asked curiously, fascinated by the knowledge being obtained from the unfamiliar race.

"It is very rare to find a mate in a companion. Over the course of my life, I have seen it happen approximately 200 times. Shape-shifters used to be much less rare, but when I reached the age of 500, the secrets of immortality were banned from being taught. Those of us born before that time are still here. Most of the time, however, you don't see us, as we prefer no contact with humans."

"Why weren't your descendants shape-shifters as well?" Harry asked.

"My 'sons' were not born like children are. I made them from my own flesh, because I did not and still do not have a mate. It is against the laws of my kind to engage in any kind of that activity with any person other than my destined mate," Hallwill said, blushing a little.

"When you find your companion or mate, do they become immortal as well, at least for those shape-shifters who have the secret of immortality?" Lucius raised his eyebrows in askance.

"It is possible to pass on the secret of immortality to the companion or mate, yes, and recommended. Each shape-shifter only has one for their entire life," Hallwill said with a sigh. "I've lived without one for 1,476 years. You cannot fathom the thrill I felt when I sensed the blood of my companion, though diluted, in your friend."

"Ron's agreed to write to Charlie, since that's who he spent the most time with over holidays," Harry assured the tall shape-shifter. "He'll ask him to come on the next Hogsmeade weekend." Hallwill brightened up.

"Another fact, while we're talking, is that companions are almost always the same gender as the shape-shifter, while the mate can be either gender. Shape-shifters have no defined 'sexuality' as humans put it," Hallwill said, frowning slightly. "Certainly, we recognize beauty, but feel attraction to only our mate."

"Well, I certainly hope Charlie agrees to come meet you," Harry said earnestly. "He works with dragons in Romania. I've only met him myself a few times, but he seems like a great guy." He knew that sounded slightly lame, but it was the truth.

Hallwill walked over to Harry and embraced him, surprising both Lucius and Harry. Although Lucius and Hallwill of similar heights and builds, Harry did not feel the same as he did when Lucius embraced him. Hallwill let go and looked down at Harry.

"It's almost strange to be meeting someone who has come from my very own flesh, though centuries later than my direct creations," Hallwill murmured. He turned to Lucius. "You are not the child I see you as in terms of your human lifespan, so I will not treat you the same as I have Harry."

"Harry's not a child," Lucius said softly, and Harry smiled a small smile, an appreciative shimmer in his eyes. "He may appear to be a child by his looks, but I believe that he never really was able to be a child."

"My apologies, Harry," Hallwill said, bowing his head slightly. "I see all of these students and their teachers as children, including your senile headmaster. When he approached me, I guess the charm he uses to keep his memory intact slipped, and he asked me the same questions several times." Lucius laughed.

"I always knew his mind couldn't be that stable," he said, smiling.

"Hallwill, it's about time for dinner. Would you care to join us?" Harry asked, looking over to Lucius. Hallwill shook his head.

"I do not wish to be seen by other students," was the simple reply. Harry shrugged. "Besides, the House-Elves bring me what I need."

"Alright," Harry said, taking Lucius' hand as they left the room.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry had finally convinced Lucius to sit with him at the Gryffindor table, joined by Ron, Hermione, Blaise, Draco, Luna, Ginny, and Neville. Harry knew there were whispers and stares, but he simply carried on as usual. He was used to the attention. Halfway through stuffing a piece of shepherd's pie into his mouth, Ron suddenly remembered something.

"I wrote to Charlie! He should reply in the next couple of days. I just said that you had a friend who wanted to meet him on the next Hogsmeade weekend, and that it was a kind of unusual circumstance, but it would be really cool if he could come," Ron said, most of what he had said muffled by food. Harry grinned.

"Hallwill will be thrilled," he said. "Oh, I never did tell you his name. Um, yeah, it's Hallwill."

Hermione smiled, and asked about who exactly Hallwill was, and Harry reiterated what he had learned over the past day about his ancestor.

**A/N:** I'm ending it there so that this chapter doesn't just drag on and on and on. Yeah, there's not much going on plot-wise, so I apologize for that. I didn't really set this up for something overly exciting. =_=

Well, I hope you at least learned something from this, I guess. XD There should be some more action and whatnot in the next chapter. However, before I write the next chapter, I'm going to go back and re-do chapters 1-10, because I looked back on them and kind of laughed at my own writing. It's just… yeah. I wanted to do this before I uploaded the last chapter, but I would have felt kind of bad. So, I shall go back and re-do them.

Thanks for reading!

~Amy Ehren


	20. Chapter 20

"Calm down!" Harry hissed, ready to turn and slap the tall human-like creature next to him. Hallwill had been fidgeting endlessly since he had awoken early that morning. It was a Hogsmeade day, and Charlie had agreed to come meet Hallwill, though he had no idea what he was really in for. All he knew was that one of Harry's friends wanted to meet him. In his response to Ron, he'd said he was planning to take a few days off anyways, and it provided a good opportunity.

Hallwill had spent his entire morning pacing around Harry and Lucius' rooms, and now it was irritating the couple. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Hallwill. We have another hour until we leave. Get dressed, comb your hair, do something!" Harry said, rubbing his temples. Lucius chuckled softly, moving his thumb in circles over the top of Harry's hand.

"But I've never had a need for clothes other than these breeches," Hallwill said simply. Harry glared at him, abruptly standing up and going to his room. He returned a moment later with lumps of cloth in his hands. Harry threw them at the shape-shifter.

"Put those on," he said, sighing when Hallwill left the room. He turned to Lucius. "He's worse than a teenage girl."

"He's nervous," Lucius remarked. "How did you feel before your first date? It's kind of like that, but Hallwill's been living without his companion for more than a thousand years. I can't fathom that…"

"Still, I wish he'd stop being so irritating!" Harry exclaimed, crossing his arms. Lucius chuckled, ruffling Harry's hair.

"Don't be so short with him. I'm sure there are times when you were the same," Lucius said, raising his eyebrows. He turned to look to the doorway, where Hallwill walked in, looking clearly unsure of what he was supposed to do while wearing clothes.

Harry had thrown him an emerald green button-down top, which was a bit big for the shape-shifter's slender frame, but still too short, showing a few inches of his stomach. His twisting tattoo-like skin markings were visible above the collar, but it looked rather erotic. The pants, however, were too long for Harry, and their length was perfect for Hallwill. They were, again, a little loose.

"Is there a spell that can make those fit better? I have the feeling that if those pants were tighter, he'd look really hot," Harry whispered to Lucius. The blonde looked at him and smirked.

"Hold still, Hallwill," Lucius said, drawing his wand. He pointed it at Hallwill and muttered something too quickly for Harry to catch. Harry blinked repeatedly, staring at the shape-shifter. The dark jeans now perfectly fit his slender thighs, the bottom flaring out slightly, making him seem even skinnier than he really was. The dark green shirt contrasted his silver hair beautifully. Struck with an idea, Harry leapt up and ran to his room. He returned a moment later, holding a ribbon of the same color as the shirt.

"Hey, can you kneel?" Harry asked. The shape-shifter was too tall for him to even try to do anything with his hair. Hallwill nodded, slightly confused, but got down on his knees.

"Lucius, grab me a comb, would you?" Trying to hide a smile, Lucius went to their bathroom and brought back a comb, watching Harry in amusement.

"What are you doing?" Hallwill asked, sounding slightly nervous.

"Braiding your hair," Harry said matter-of-factly. "Damn your hair is long." He parted the somewhat apprehensive shape-shifter's hair, loosely braiding it, continuing the braid until there was about 6 inches of Hallwill's hair unbraided. Harry tied the ribbon around the end, pulling it tight to secure it. He tied it into a bow and stepped back to admire his work.

"It looks good!" Lucius commented. Hallwill went to the bathroom and took a look at his hair, returning with a smile. He hugged Harry tightly, squeezing his ribcage.

"Can't breathe," Harry managed to get out, his face turning red. Hallwill promptly let go and blushed.

"I'm sorry," Hallwill said sheepishly. "I'm just nervous."

"I know. Let's go, okay?" Harry said, reaching for Lucius' hand. "Do you want us to be there with you and Charlie, or do you want to be on your own when we get there? After I introduce you, of course." Harry felt like he was talking to a boy going on his first date. In a way, he supposed Hallwill was.

"I'll decide when we get there," Hallwill replied. He was nervously playing with his hair. Harry rolled his eyes but said nothing.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry, Lucius, and Hallwill met Ron and Hermione just inside the gate. Ron put his arm around Hermione as they walked towards Hogsmeade.

"We're meeting Charlie in the Hog's Head. With Aberforth there, we can probably get him to let us use a room for introductions and everything," Ron said, squeezing Hermione's shoulder. She was shivering a little through her coat.

"Are you alright Hermione?" Harry asked, noting she looked a little flushed.

"I have a cold," she responded, rushing to finish her sentence before she sneezed. She turned bright red. "Ron and I spent the night on the Astronomy tower," she mumbled. Harry snorted.

"I'm going to take her back once the introductions are done," Ron said.

"That's fine," Harry said, looking back to Hallwill. He looked rather alone, with Harry holding Lucius' hand and Ron with his arm around Hermione. The streets of Hogsmeade were otherwise rather empty; everyone had rushed inside to avoid the snow. The five entered the Hog's Head, grateful for the warmth it provided.

"Hey, is my brother here?" Ron asked, walking up to the bar. Aberforth looked up. He nodded his head towards the stairs.

"He's in the third room on the right. I sent him up there when he got here," he said, turning back to wiping down the glasses.

"Thanks!" the redhead said brightly, leading the others upstairs. He turned at the third door on the right and knocked.

"Come in," came a voice from inside. Ron pushed the door open and walked in first. He turned to Hallwill.

"Wait out here. I'm going to give him some information before he meets you. Harry, you can come in, 'cause he doesn't know about you and Lucius yet. So Hallwill and Lucius can wait out here for a few minutes," Ron said. He turned back to his brother sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hey Charlie!" Ron said with a grin. Charlie grinned back equally.

"Ron," he said. "Hermione. Harry!" He threw his arms around Harry in greeting.

"Good to see you!" Harry said, smiling.

"Yeah! So why did you ask me to come here?" Charlie asked, getting straight to the point. Ron looked to Harry.

"I suppose I should start at the very beginning. You know Lucius Malfoy, correct?" Harry asked, wincing a little at the hostility in Charlie's eyes when he nodded. "Well… he and I are soul mates." He chuckled when Charlie's jaw dropped. "Anyways, we had to convince Dumbledore to let us share rooms at Hogwarts, and after some work, we finally did. He took us to our room, and the 'painting' guarding the room turned out to be living, and not only that, the head of both the Malfoy and Potter bloodlines over a thousand years ago. He's an immortal shape-shifter." Harry was wondering if it was possible for Charlie's eyes to get any bigger. "Anyways, I introduced him to Ron, and he could sense his companion's blood on him, but diluted, so it had to be a sibling he spent a lot of time with over the break. Ron said you shared a room, so we figured it had to be you." Harry shrugged and looked at Charlie.

"Holy crap," was all Charlie could say in response. "Well, I'll meet him." Ron clapped his hands and went back to the door, waving Lucius and Hallwill in. Lucius stood by Harry's side, and Hallwill simply stared at Charlie.

"Charlie, this is Hallwill. Hallwill, Charlie," Harry said, the corners of his lips curving up into a smile. Hallwill and Charlie simply stared at one another as though they were long-lost friends, just seeing each other after believing them dead.

"I'm taking Hermione back to Hogwarts," Ron mouthed to Harry, who nodded in response. Ron and Hermione silently slipped out, leaving Harry and Lucius watching Hallwill and Charlie.

Hallwill was trying to remember to breathe. He stared at Charlie, filled with certainty. He moved towards Charlie, who had been standing since greeting Harry, placing a hand on either side of the muscular redhead's face and leaning in. He pressed his lips firmly to Charlie's, nearly weeping in joy when he felt Charlie's hands grip his slender waist. He pulled away slowly, a smile breaking across his face as he looked into Charlie's eyes.

"Hi," Charlie breathed, unsure why he felt so sure that he was supposed to be in the tall shape-shifter's arms. He knew that he would never have done that before; he would have felt that it was strange to kiss someone he had just met. Even at bars, he had never had a one-night stand. But something not only attracted him to this silver-haired beauty, but also told him that it was… well… _perfect. _

"I think you're not only his companion, but his mate, too," Harry said with a small smile. "Hallwill said it's very rare for a shape-shifter's companion to be his or her mate." He looked to Lucius, who put an arm around his shoulders. "We should go."

"Hallwill, I will inform Dumbledore that you have found your companion and mate," Lucius said, raising an eyebrow. Catching its meaning, Hallwill nodded.

"Do not request anything yet. Only tell him. And do not tell him who it is. Just say I have found them," Hallwill ordered, a degree of harshness in his voice. "I don't trust Dumbledore with this yet." Lucius nodded, and he and Harry left the room.

"I'm sure this seems rather sudden, does it not?" Hallwill asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Charlie sat beside him, surprised when his new-found mate took one of his calloused hands and held it in his smooth, slender hand.

"Yeah, it is sudden," Charlie said, no hint of bitterness in his voice. "I can't explain why I'm not protesting the fact that I saw you once, heard your name, and then you kissed me and I _liked___it." He seemed to be in slight shock. "I've never liked men before, but this is different. I don't know how to explain it."

Hallwill smiled, tracing the lines on Charlie's hand as he spoke. "I'll explain a little for you. A shape-shifter has two destined people they must be with: a companion and a mate. A companion grounds a shape-shifter's power, because it takes a significant amount of power to shift. The amount of power makes us shift rather rarely, and in the time between transformations, enough power is built up to become volatile. What a companion does is ensure that power does not explode out accidentally, but also helps shifting take less power. When my power levels reach their full capacity, any power built beyond that will go to you. Unfortunately, that power can only be tapped in an emergency. It's like… a lifeline if you will." Charlie was listening intently. "A mate, though, is just that. It's like the soul mates of humans. In shape-shifters, it's rare for the companion to be a mate, but it seems I've become one of the few who has both in a single person. Shape-shifters only ever feel attraction to their mate, and the moment they find each other, they know. The knowledge comes innately, and without rigid form in the mind. It's an unshaped instinct. The moment I actually saw you, I knew I had been waiting my entire existence to find you." Hallwill's hand strayed to Charlie's face as he looked him over, looking at each freckle, into both of his blue eyes, studying each line and crease. Suddenly, Charlie pulled Hallwill into an embrace, surprising the shape-shifter, and himself.

"I don't generally act so womanish," Charlie said sheepishly, murmuring into Hallwill's ear. The proximity to Hallwill's throat caused Charlie to feel the vibrations of Hallwill's voice as he laughed.

"You won't be in the future," Hallwill assured him. "It's mostly the shock of learning everything now. I'm not normally so controlling, either. You just have a lot to learn that I can teach you. In the future, it will be you controlling me." Hallwill smirked, pulling away from the embrace to see Charlie's reaction. He looked as if that pleased him.

"Teach me," Charlie whispered, smirking a bit. Hallwill grinned mischievously, leaning in and pressing his mouth to Charlie's.

"I won't teach you too much yet," he murmured against his lips, his hands gently tracing Charlie's sides. Hallwill was eager to learn every curve of his mate's body, but he knew he had all of eternity to get to know him. Reluctantly, he pulled away from him. "I hardly know you. Though it may feel 'right' to let you take me now, we must wait." Hallwill's voice had dropped to no more than a whisper. "I could bore you with stories of me. Tell me about _you._" Charlie smiled.

"I raise dragons in Romania," he began with a shrug. "You'll see a lot of scars and burns on my body from them. They're such amazing creatures, you know. Their blood has all those magical properties that Dumbledore discovered, and their scales are collector's items, though I dearly hope none were taken from a live dragon." Hallwill smiled. Charlie seemed to be filled with a genuine happiness when he talked about dragons. Suddenly, Charlie turned to Hallwill, his eyes full of a question. "Can you shape-shift into magical creatures?" Hallwill smirked, knowing it was inevitable he would ask. He was surprised Harry and Lucius hadn't thought of asking earlier.

"Take me in Side-Along Apparation to somewhere open. Preferably away from the eye of humans," Hallwill said, standing. Charlie grinned and stood, taking Hallwill's arm and turning on the spot.

The two found themselves in an isolated field. The nearest house was miles away. Hallwill turned to Charlie and began to unbutton his shirt. He shook it off and tossed it to the redhead.

"I'd prefer not to destroy Harry's clothes. I almost never wear a shirt, just so you know," Hallwill informed him. He took a deep breath. "Now that I have my companion, my transformation into something this large won't drain me. Just put your hand on mine." Charlie obliged, resting his hand on the shape-shifter's.

Hallwill's skin began to ripple, becoming rough. As his size began to grow, scales emerged from his skin. Charlie watched in awe as Hallwill became a fully-grown white Rainbowback.

"I should have known you'd be one of the rarer species," Charlie breathed, moving closer to Hallwill. He stroked Hallwill's head, planting a kiss between his eyes. "You feel exactly like the wild dragons I raise," Charlie said. "You better not stay in this form for too long, or I might get weird ideas with some of the wild dragons." He laughed at both his joke, and the scowl in Hallwill's eyes.

Hallwill began to change form again, back to his human shape. The scowl on his face was too much for Charlie, and he howled in laughter. Hallwill walked up to Charlie and possessively put his arm around his waist. Charlie stopped laughing, looking over Hallwill's face.

"I was kidding," he said softly. Hallwill ran one hand through Charlie's hair.

"I've been without companion or mate for my entire existence. I am older than Hogwarts itself," Hallwill said sadly. "Do you know how painful it is to hear you even joke about other creatures, let alone humans?" Charlie saw the pain in Hallwill's eyes and leaned forward, resting his forehead on the silver-haired shape-shifter's.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, leaning in and kissing Hallwill gently. When he pulled away, Hallwill hugged him tightly.

"Thank you. You can't imagine the pure euphoria I felt when I saw you," Hallwill admitted. He looked up. "How long can you be away from your job in Romania? I cannot leave Hogwarts while Harry and Lucius are there. I'm their guardian, and cannot abandon my duty to them. I know you love doing your work, and I do not want to be the reason you aren't there. However, I don't think separation from you will do me any good." Hallwill looked down, torn. Finally, he looked at Charlie again. "You should go. I've survived. Once this year ends, I will join you there. Only if you want," he quickly added.

"I'll come visit when I can," Charlie assured him. "Tonight, I'll stay, though. I'll talk to Aberforth about keeping the room overnight. I don't necessarily want to _do_ anything, but I'd like to get to know you. After all, I barely know anything about you."

"And I as well. Please, talk to… Aberforth, was it?" Hallwill said, dismissing it with a slight shrug. "I'll inform Harry and Lucius that they are on their own for a night." With a pop, Hallwill disappeared, and Charlie left to talk to Aberforth.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry and Lucius arrived back at Hogwarts and immediately went back to their rooms. The painting opened for them without Hallwill there, though they hadn't been sure it would.

"I felt like I was watching a movie in slow motion," Harry said with a laugh.

"Movie?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow. Harry laughed again.

"A muggle thing. It's hard to explain," Harry said quickly. "But watching Hallwill move towards Charlie was like watching time slowed down. It was kind of bizarre."

"I suppose it was a little bizarre, wasn't it? The smile on his face was worth not killing him earlier, Harry," Lucius said, smiling as he took off his coat and then helped Harry with his. He took Harry's hand and led him to the couch in front of the fire. Lucius sat first and pulled Harry onto his lap.

"It made me glad I have you," Harry murmured, leaning his head onto Lucius' shoulder. "I would have felt so lonely if I didn't."

"You do have me, and you have me forever," Lucius said, his cheeks turning a little pink. Generally, he preferred romance that wasn't quite as cheesy as the line he had just said. But it was the truth.

"Luc, I really, truly love you," Harry said, turning to face Lucius on his lap. He leaned forward and kissed the blond, his tongue sliding along Lucius' lower lip. Lucius opened his mouth and sucked Harry's tongue in. Harry let out a soft moan. Lucius' own tongue began to dance around Harry's, not so much a battle for dominance as a power shift. Harry now allowed Lucius' tongue into his mouth, where he lightly scraped his teeth along it, wrapping his arms around Lucius' neck.

Harry was straddling Lucius' hips by the time Lucius' tongue made its way into Harry's mouth. The blond reached around and cupped Harry's ass. Harry pulled away and stepped off of Lucius.

"Hold on a moment," the raven-haired wizard said at the dismayed look on Lucius' face. He kneeled in front of Lucius and pushed his soul mate's knees apart, situating himself between them. Kneeling as tall as he could, he leaned forward and unbuttoned Lucius' shirt, kissing his chest as he did so, swirling his tongue in small circles on the smooth skin. Lucius groaned when Harry's hands made their way to his pants, lightly stroking him through the fabric.

Harry lightly bit the skin on Lucius' chest, sucking the skin, determined to leave a mark. Lucius moaned, thrusting up into Harry's hand. Smirking, Harry slowly unzipped Lucius' pants, the zipper between his teeth. He pulled the waistband down slightly, his smirk growing. He looked up into Lucius' eyes as his tongue ran the length of Lucius' erection. The blond shuddered, his hands itching to lace themselves into Harry's hair.

"Umm…"

Lucius and Harry snapped out of their positions to turn and look at the source of the voice. Both the blond and the dark-haired man were bright red, staring at Hallwill like deer in the headlights. Hallwill was blushing as well, a little uncomfortable with the situation he had walked in on.

"I… uh… just came to say that I'll be… be spending the night with Charlie," Hallwill stuttered, pointing vaguely towards the exit. He turned quickly and left, leaving Harry and Lucius staring towards the door. They turned and looked at each other, and Harry began to laugh. Lucius couldn't help his smile and soon began to laugh. Despite their awkward positions, they simply laughed at each other and the awkwardness of having been caught for the first time.

**A/N:** Whooo! I finished this one! XD It took a while, if you couldn't tell. But I'm happy with it, and the fluff at the end, and I figured it had to happen. Poor Hallwill. :3

Hope you enjoyed it! Also, reviews would be lovely. :D

~Amy Ehren


	21. Chapter 21

Lucius sighed, now sitting fully dressed on the edge of his and Harry's bed. It seemed surreal to be able to say that it was _theirs_. Not just his, but theirs. He remembered the near-disgust he had felt when he had understood that Narcissa would have to share his bed upon marriage. It had never been their bed; depending on the circumstance and the company, it was either his or Narcissa's. Her memory caused him to wince a little, remembering the pain she had caused him, but at least she had truly loved their son. There had been little reason for them to have kept their marriage besides Draco. And now, though Lucius hated to admit it, he felt a little bit of remorse for killing her. Sometimes, she had been his best friend, but towards the end of their marriage, she was his worst enemy.

Their desires had been entirely different towards the end of the war. She had cared about getting herself _and_Draco out alive; Lucius had stopped caring whether he lived or died, only about getting his son away from the clutches of the maniac they had served. When it came down to it, they were selfish in different ways. Narcissa cared most about appearances and reputation, and a few good scandals never hurt anyone. Lucius, however, cared about his own pleasure while maintaining the illusion of a clean record. He knew his illusion was shattered by Narcissa's desire to be in the spotlight, but now that she was gone, the world needn't know his personal life any longer.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, sitting himself behind Lucius, his legs straddling Lucius from behind. He wrapped his arms around the blonde's chest, resting his chin on his shoulder.

"I was just thinking," he replied softly, placing his hands over Harry's. "Thinking of how different my relationship with you is from my relationship with Narcissa."

"It better be different!" Harry exclaimed indignantly, causing Lucius to chuckle. "I'm your soul mate!"

"Of course, Harry. I just never stopped to think about how dissimilar you are," he explained, a small smile on his face.

"I'm sorry this all resulted in Narcissa's death," Harry said softly, snuggling more firmly against Lucius.

"I don't know if I am, though. She tended to like scandal, and I feel that you and I would have just been another one to add to the books," Lucius admitted. "She was never really more than a friend to me, if even that. The only thing that kept us together was first and foremost Draco, and second, the reputation that we have been trained to uphold, she as a Black, and I as a Malfoy."

"No matter, what's done is done," Harry murmured. "We cannot change our actions, not even with magic. Sometimes it is better not to, anyways."

"Wisdom beyond your years," Lucius whispered, turning his head to catch Harry's in a sweet kiss. Harry smiled and sighed happily, feeling the heat from Lucius' body.

"Though sometimes I have the maturity and reasoning skills of a five-year-old," Harry admitted a bit sheepishly.

"There are times when I'm the same," Lucius chuckled. "Though I believe it's not often."

"I don't think anyone ever really saw me as a child, even when I acted like one. They just assumed it was the pressure making me crack. Maybe they shouldn't have relied so heavily on me," Harry grumbled.

"I always did think it was a bit unfair, forcing you to bear the burdens no man should ever have to face," Lucius murmured, stroking Harry's face.

"Constantly dwelling on it won't change anything, Lucius," Harry said with a small chuckle. "And frankly, as much as it irritated me, I just don't care anymore."

"I'm guessing that's your way of telling me to change the subject," Lucius said with a raised eyebrow. "I suppose we ought to inform Dumbledore that Hallwill will be spending the night elsewhere. After all, that's what we should have been doing." Harry sighed and nodded, realizing he was right. Reluctantly, he detached himself from Lucius, standing. The blond took his hand and they made their way to Dumbledore's office.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Why the hell can't the old man have a normal password?" Lucius grumbled, having unsuccessfully tried several passwords to get past the gargoyle. The stone creature was waggling his finger disapprovingly at Lucius. Harry giggled, finally deciding to lend Lucius a hand.

"His passwords are always some kind of candy," Harry said. Lucius turned and narrowed his eyes at him.

"That would have been helpful to know a few minutes ago," he snapped, turning back to the gargoyle and listing off candies he could think of. It seemed that Wizard candies weren't what Dumbledore had a penchant for at the moment, so Harry decided to try a Muggle candy.

"Mars bars?" he asked cautiously, grinning when the gargoyle sprang aside, ignoring its snide comment.

If Dumbledore was surprised to see Harry and Lucius burst into his office, he didn't show it. He looked up at them, his quill pausing over whatever he was writing.

"Hallwill has asked that we inform you that he will be spending a night away from Hogwarts," Lucius said stiffly. "He has found both his companion and mate. He will be staying with his mate for the night in order for the two of them to become better acquainted."

"You're being vague, Lucius," Dumbledore said. "Who is it?"

"I have been requested not to reveal any information about Hallwill's mate," Lucius growled. It was clear he was irritated, from a combination of the gargoyle's snarky attitude and his clear dislike for Dumbledore.

"Then I shall not press you for it. Hallwill has much more power than even I can fathom. I do not wish to incur his wrath," the old man said tiredly, peering over his glasses at them.

"Sir? Has Hallwill always been at Hogwarts?" Harry asked, unable to keep himself from using the formality. Dumbledore sighed.

"It is complicated to explain. As a shape-shifter, he can, theoretically take the shape of any object, animate or inanimate. Size matters not. He lent his magic to the school as part of the Room of Requirement," he explained slowly, as if trying to decide how to go about his explanation. Harry looked at Lucius, his eyes wide.

"So Hallwill used to be a room?" he asked, completely bemused. Dumbledore chuckled.

"No. He imbued his power into the walls. He, oddly enough, can also become so insignificant as to not be noticed. He was always inside the room in some form. I take it that alarms you?" Both Harry and Lucius had blanched.

"So… all the students who have used that room for… personal reasons… have had a voyeur?" Lucius asked nervously.

"None were ever aware. Hallwill is rather shameless, but he was sworn to secrecy by the founders, who knew exactly how that room would be used," Dumbledore said, clearly amused.

"So that's why he had no problem walking in on me naked twice," Harry muttered. "He saw Seamus and I. At least we didn't actually do the deed. Eugh." Lucius raised his eyebrows at Harry, clearly asking for the story. "Later," Harry mouthed. Lucius nodded.

"Now that we have conducted the business we came for, we shall take our leave," Lucius said curtly, turning and walking out. Harry followed with a half-hearted wave to Dumbledore. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of the man following the war.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"I suppose I should be glad that I didn't like Seamus enough to ever get past hand jobs," Harry said with a laugh, having finished explaining the story of his past relationship to Lucius. He couldn't help but feel loved at the possessive expression in Lucius' eyes when he spoke of being with someone else.

"And now, I'm sure there's a story of you in that room, or you wouldn't have been so alarmed either," Harry said smugly, watching Lucius' face from his armchair. Lucius sighed.

"I'm sure you've guessed that I have never liked women. They're simply too… I don't know. I just don't like them. Well, I discovered my love for men when I was in fourth year with my best friend at the time, Sebastian Valero. His family was from Spain, on a foreigners program Hogwarts did as a trial for several years. It was abandoned when language barriers became too great, as the students were not advanced enough to use translation spells. I met him in second year, and we were quite good friends. After a while, we both realized that we had… feelings for one another, and being Spanish, his Latin blood ruled his head and, when we were fourteen, one thing led to another and we took each other's virginity," Lucius said, his cheeks slightly pink. It seemed he was struggling to say something else. "I did not realize Hallwill has seen the only time Lucius Malfoy was thoroughly debauched."

"Only you would say you were 'debauched' instead of something more blunt," Harry snorted.

"I am still a Malfoy and we have certain behavioral decencies to hold ourselves to," Lucius said haughtily. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, like bending your fiancé over a table and leaving bruises the size of dinner plates?" Harry smirked.

"What decent man doesn't?" Lucius purred. "And I wasn't aware of those bruises. Why did you not say anything to me?"

Harry blushed scarlet. "I had Hermione make them painless for me the morning after it happened," he said sheepishly.

"You didn't ask me?" Lucius asked, and Harry caught well-concealed hurt in his voice. "It is part of my duty to you to be a healer to you, especially when I cause the pain, Harry."

"You were asleep at the time and I had to leave almost immediately. I don't want you to be inconvenienced because of me," Harry said softly. "It was faster to have Hermione do it."

"Did you never think that perhaps our sex life should stay between the two of us? She may be your best friend, but that does not give you the right to tell her the intimacies we share!" Lucius hissed, his temper beginning to rise. Harry's began to flare in response.

"It's never seemed to have been a problem for you before! I know I've seen articles in the _Daily Prophet_ about your past lovers. What, can you not bear the shame of being associated with me in front of the entire general public?" Harry spat.

Lucius stood suddenly, advancing on Harry. Harry stood as well, meeting Lucius' glare.

"You really do have the mental abilities of a child sometimes, don't you? Imagine the reaction of your 'fan club' when they discover you've been fucked by a former Death Eater! How do you think they will react to me? You may be able to do no wrong in the eyes of the public, but I can't do a single good deed without being ripped apart! You will be guilty by association! Have you never thought that I do not desire my personal life to be seen by the public eye?" Lucius hissed, standing mere inches away from Harry.

He roughly pushed the blond away from him. "All you wanted was the bragging rights to having gotten my ass, right?"

"Use your brain for once, Potter!" An old habit had slipped back into use in his anger. "Do you think that you would bear my mark if all you and I are turns out to be sex friends? You are my soul mate! You obviously cannot comprehend the magic that governs soul mates, or you would not accuse me of such things!" With that, Lucius turned sharply and left the room, leaving Harry taken aback. It was amazing how quickly he forgot things when he was angry.

He could feel Lucius' anger throbbing in his shoulder, the mark's pain much deeper than he'd ever felt. It felt as though someone had thrust a shard of white-hot metal into his skin and allowed it to sink deep. He sat on the floor, too unsure of himself to walk the few paces to the chair behind him, pulling his knees to his chest. He rested his forehead on his knees, hugging his legs.

"God, I'm an idiot sometimes," Harry murmured to no one.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Sit down, take a deep breath, and speak coherently," Severus ordered the angry blond. Lucius grudgingly did so, crossing his arms. Severus thought he looked remarkably like a child told he had to eat his vegetables.

"Harry and I had a fight. I don't really want to talk about the details, but we were rather insulting," Lucius said, calmed by the presence of his best friend, and by the tea Severus handed him, having poured a generous measure of brandy into it.

"The fates could not have put two people more likely to kill each other together," the Potions Master sighed, turning his eyes upwards. "I may not be an expert on the subject, but fights are an average part of relationships."

"But we're soul mates," Lucius said weakly.

"That doesn't make your relationship perfect, stupid," Severus snapped. "You will push the wrong buttons sometimes, and you have to deal with what happens! You may not have learned this, but you have to take responsibility for your own temper." Severus' tone was cutting, causing Lucius to wince. "Just because yours was overshadowed for years by Narcissa's the Dark Lord's does not mean it is formidable and will not cause harm to those around you. Have you never noticed Draco's reluctance to tell you anything? He is afraid of your temper." He sighed, as though pained. "Your temper reminds me far too much of my father's. Do not allow it to control you. Though you may believe you understand the magic governing soul mates, you do not understand the realities of a relationship. No amount of magic will prevent a couple from fighting. I don't care who was in the wrong in this fight; I assume you both are, since you are both stubborn and often belligerent. You must apologize to Potter, Lucius. Even if you don't think it's your fault, you are much older than Potter, and you are the one who should be displaying maturity." Severus sank into his own chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Severus, you're my best friend and near brother for a reason. I don't know where I'd be without you," Lucius said, flooded with affection for the ill-tempered man.

"Sleeping on the couch, if you're even that lucky," Severus replied, trying to hide a small smile. "I hope you realize that not many wizards ever find their soul mates. You're very lucky to have someone so loyal, you know. Even if I do think he's a brat."

"It's rare for you to speak so kindly of him. I remember for years, you said the only reason you hadn't killed him is because he has Lily's eyes," Lucius remarked, the corners of his mouth twisting into a smirk. It faded when he saw the pain in his friend's eyes.

"I have told myself that I must forget her. I have Luna, and though I do not yet love her, as she is aware, she is far more company than I have had and realized I wanted. She is happy to leave our relationship at a mental level, rather than a physical one," he said softly. Lucius smiled and walked over to Severus, pulling him into an embrace.

"You deserve happiness, after all you have been through," Lucius said, releasing him. Severus couldn't help but smile at the blond and pat his hand.

"I believe you have some apologizing to do," Severus prompted, raising an eyebrow. Lucius smiled sheepishly.

"I do. Thank you, Severus," he said, taking his leave. As soon as the blond had gone, Severus sank into his chair, his brow furrowed. When had he acquired the slight fondness for Potter? Perhaps it was the way Luna spoke about him that made him understand the boy simply stood firm in his beliefs, even when others' differed. The illusion he had created of a second version of James had been shattered so completely in the final battle that perhaps he'd grow to tolerate the boy.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Have you spoken with Aberforth?" Hallwill asked, sitting on the bed beside the redhead. Charlie nodded with a smile, unable to keep from staring at Hallwill's bare chest. He had not put his shirt back on after his transformation. Hallwill, ever observant, noticed Charlie's gaze and smirked.

"I prefer to not be held by confines of unnecessary articles of clothing. Harry, however, convinced me to be entirely dressed to meet you," Hallwill commented nonchalantly, grooming his fingernails.

"I think that's probably a good thing," Charlie murmured, unable to resist running his calloused hand over Hallwill's smooth skin, tracing the shifting patterns. Hallwill's breath caught in his throat. He leaned in to Charlie's touch, biting his lower lip when he felt the rough hand dangerously low on his abdomen. With a slight groan, he pushed Charlie's hand away.

"We cannot. Not until we know you and I can stay together. It will be physically painful for us to be apart for so long once we have bonded. I do not have human control over myself. Once you start, I cannot stop you. It is the downfall of many shape-shifters. We are creatures of completeness. Once something has begun, we cannot stop it until it has been completed. Had we gone on, the bonding process would have begun and I would have been unable to halt it until we had both finished," Hallwill explained. He smiled wryly. "For all the benefits wizards see in the possibility of being a shape-shifter, they do not understand that we have limits. Such as this image of perfection equaling completion." Charlie's eyebrows were in danger of disappearing into his hair.

"That's kind of scary, actually. Not to have my mind on one thing, but any time things get heated, we have to go all the way, or we can't stop?" Charlie asked, a little nervous. Hallwill laughed.

"Not necessarily. If we decide completion is after oral sex, we will be able to stop after that," he said. "If you or I desire more, however, we cannot stop. Strange laws govern my magic. I won't pretend I understand them, and I'm growing tired from trying to comprehend them." Charlie snorted.

"If you can't understand it, I definitely won't. I've never made it a secret that I'm not the most brilliant wizard to ever live. I am, however, rather accomplished in what I do," he said proudly. Hallwill saw the unadulterated joy in Charlie's smile, and couldn't help it when his heart swelled with love.

"Tell me, how would I enjoy Romania?" Hallwill asked softly, tilting his head.

"Are you saying you'd come live with me?" Charlie asked, his eyes lighting up. "You'd love it. Where I am is full of forests and quaint magical villages, where the people help us train the dragons. I feel like your magic would be right at home there."

"I cannot leave Hogwarts until Harry and Lucius do. Luckily, Harry is in his final year, and my protection will not extend beyond that time. Now that I've found you, I do not want to go another several months without being able to see you," Hallwill said, his eyes locked on Charlie's.

"I can come on Hogsmead weekends, and we can see each other then," Charlie whispered, leaning in to brush his lips against Hallwill's. "I know the feeling, even though several hours ago, I'd never even thought I loved someone. Yet, with you, I'm so suddenly sure I love you. It's all a little disconcerting, actually. But Hallwill, I love you."

Hallwill hugged Charlie tightly. "Those words are ones I've waited my entire existence to hear you say. I know that I love you, Charlie, though I hardly know you."

They spent the rest of the night together, simply learning about each other, full of certainty that this was where they belonged.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Harry?" Lucius asked cautiously when he saw him curled up on the floor. He received no response. "Please don't have drunk yourself into a stupor again." He rushed to Harry's side and tilted his head back. He sighed in relief. It seemed Harry had simply fallen asleep. Tenderly, he lifted his lover and carried him to their bed. He gently put him down, kissing his forehead.

"Mmm, Lucius?" Harry asked, waking up slowly. He sat up and looked at Lucius, rubbing his eyes.

"Harry, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I shouldn't have said things I did, and I should not have assumed to understand the magic that governs our relationship. I had a good talking-to from Severus, and he made me see that though we are fated to be together, it does not make us immune to the fights that every couple must have. I have a terrible temper, and I'm afraid I lost it on you tonight. Please, forgive me, love," Lucius said softly, holding both of Harry's hands.

"Of course I forgive you. I said some horribly nasty things, too, Lucius, and I'm sorry about what I said. I'd prefer these fights not be often, though," Harry said, pressing his lips to Lucius'. "I really love you, you know."

"I know. And I love you, Harry, even though I may be terrible at showing you now," Lucius murmured, pushing Harry down to his back and hovering over him, leaning down to kiss him fiercely. Perhaps the fights wouldn't be so bad, if this were to come afterwards, he thought.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

When Harry appeared at breakfast, he was positively glowing. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, apparently over her cold.

"I discovered the wonders of make-up sex," he whispered so only she would hear. She snorted.

"I don't think I want to know about your sex life, Harry," she said pointedly. "Just because you both are insanely sexy together doesn't mean I want to know how things go every time it happens." She couldn't help smiling just slightly.

"Well, at least I'm happy. How are you and Ron doing, by the way?" Harry asked with a frown. "I feel like I never see you anymore."

"We're doing fine, but I feel like he wants our relationship to be more physical than emotional, and it's a bit irritating," she admitted.

"Well, you could talk to Luna about her relationship. It's almost exclusively emotional and mental," Harry suggested, purposely not mentioning who she was with.

"She's in a relationship? That's wonderful!" Hermione said happily, turning to look at the Ravenclaw. "Who with?"

"I don't think I can tell anyone," Harry said with an apologetic look.

"Oh, alright then," Hermione said, visibly disappointed.

**A/N:** Good Lord. That took me way too long to write, and I'm sorry. D: I just feel like I have nowhere to go with this story. It feels kind of mundane, so if anyone has any plot ideas for me, they're more than welcome. Anyways, hopefully this was okay. I wanted to put some smut, but if I did, it would never get finished. I'll probably have more in the next chapter. Thanks for reading! ^.^ Please review!

~Amy Ehren


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Just so I avoid confusion, the Hogsmeade weekend where Hallwill met Charlie occurred about three weeks after the first day back.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Hey Harry," Ron said sleepily, joining Hermione and Harry at the table for breakfast. He reached out and grabbed a biscuit, stuffing it in his mouth. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Not even going to greet your girlfriend?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. Ron seemed slightly more awake after inhaling the biscuit, and he turned to Hermione.

"Sorry, good morning," Ron said sheepishly. Hermione didn't respond, but she smiled slightly. Ron took that as a good sign and turned back to Harry.

"Hey, Harry, have you talked to Ginny lately?" he asked. "She's been acting really weird since you and Malfoy had that thing with Pansy the night we came back from the holidays." Harry looked at him quizzically.

"What do you mean, weird?" he asked.

"Well, she's sulking a lot. And you know her; she doesn't sulk. And she's been hanging out with Seamus a lot, too. I didn't even know they acknowledged each others' existence," Ron said with a shrug. "I guess it is time that she started looking for other options now."

"Ron…" Hermione started slowly. "Seamus is gay." Ron looked at her in surprise.

"Really? He always talked about girls," he said, confused.

"Actually, Ron, he never talked about girls. He was always talking about guys. But he talked about them like you would a girl," Harry said. Ron blushed up to the roots of his hair.

"I used to join in on those conversations. He didn't think…?" the redhead asked, suddenly worried. Harry laughed.

"No, we all know you're totally in love with Hermione and have been for years," Harry said and both Ron and Hermione blushed. "Do you think it'll be okay for me to talk to Ginny? I don't think she'll be mad at me, since we both agreed that the relationship ending was for the best. After all, I don't like girls, and when I realized that, I happened to be going out with her. I told her as soon as I knew because I felt bad to string her along. She was really understanding about everything, you know? She just kind of gave me this sad smile and said she knew."

Ron shrugged. "Maybe she's having problems finding someone she likes as much as you." He was loath to talk about his younger sister's love life, but there were worse things to talk about.

"Girls do have a tendency to compare everyone to the person they liked the most," Hermione said with a knowing smile. "Or to date people that they know will make that other person jealous. Why do you think I ever dated Viktor, Ron? I knew you admired him, and I… I took advantage of the fact that he liked me." She blushed slightly. "But he realized what I was doing, and he seemed actually alright with it."

"Girls are really clever," Ron sighed, sounding slightly unhappy. "And mean sometimes. And it doesn't help that you're already far too smart, Hermione." Hermione smiled and took his hand.

"Honestly, Ronald," she began, and he winced at the use of his full first name. "I would think you could tell that I've been in love with you for years."

Sensing that a private moment was about to be shared, Harry stood and waved a good-bye to the both of them before they started with the romantic exchange he knew was coming. It was just awkward to be around them when they happened, though he didn't feel nearly as left out as he had before. He smiled, thinking of Lucius, his heart filling with love.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry stood in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, suddenly realizing he didn't know the password.

"Er…" he stuttered, blushing a little. The woman snorted in laughter.

"I know you're a Gryffindor, I'll let you in," she said. "But don't tell anyone or they'll all want to visit their friends." Harry nodded and smiled.

"If I could hug you, I would," he said, the grin still on his face. She blushed, swinging forward to allow him in.

Harry crawled through the hole into a mostly-empty Common Room. It felt like it had been a very long time since he had been in it. He looked around and saw Ginny talking to Seamus, their expressions serious. He walked over to them and when they saw him, Ginny blushed and Seamus paled. He offered them a smile, and they relaxed visibly.

"Hi," he said softly, sitting down near them. "How have you been?" There was a tense silence between the three of them.

"Fine," Ginny said stiffly, refusing to meet his gaze. Seamus didn't respond at all.

"Can I talk to you alone, Ginny?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice amiable. She nodded and stood up, motioning silently for him to follow her. He followed her to her dormitory, surprised that the stairs didn't flatten out like they had when Ron had tried to get to Hermione once.

"What do you want?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms. The anger in her glare took Harry aback.

"Um, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I mean, obviously you're angry, but Ron said you'd been acting strangely," Harry said weakly. Ginny's nostrils flared and she looked remarkably like her mother.

"You're only concerned about me because Ron wants you to be," she scoffed, laughing humorlessly. "Tell me, Harry, did you ever love me?"

"What?" he asked, nonplussed. "Ginny, I… I don't think I did. I think I confused the love I feel for you like a sister with the feeling I had at having someone like me and thought I did. But I don't like women, and as soon as I realized that, I understood that what I felt towards you wasn't the way Ron felt towards Hermione. I mean, the thought of sex with you made me feel like I was committing incest. You're like my sister, and I'm sorry I led you on, even though I didn't know I was at the time." Instead of angry, Ginny had a sad expression on her face.

"That's what I thought," she said, her eyes hardening. "Did you never think that it was painful for me to realize that the person I loved never loved me? You never did think of how I felt, no matter what we did. You didn't think it was painful for me to have no idea where you were last year! Or to be told I couldn't fight in the battle until you needed the Room of Requirement! Maybe if you loved someone worthwhile, I could get over it. But you're in love with Lucius Malfoy? How do you think I'm going to take that when he tried to kill me when I was eleven?" she snarled. Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Since when did you have a say in my love life?" he asked quietly. "He is my soul mate. Obviously I'm not going to leave him because you, who I don't think cares about my well-being at all, hate him!"

"Of course I care about your well-being, Harry," she said, suddenly sweet. "I don't think he does. All he wants is to sleep with you, you know."

"Yeah?" Harry growled, exposing his shoulder and touching his mark. It flared golden. "Why is the mark gold, then?" Ginny swore under her breath, giving Harry the iciest glare he'd ever seen.

"He's going to hurt you, Harry. I'll be waiting for you when he does," Ginny said, turning to leave. "Now get out of the girls' dormitory before I report you for sexual harassment."

"Not like you're worth harassing," Harry spat, glad to leave.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Lucius was sitting, reading, when he felt his mark burn with anger. Harry was angry at someone, though he couldn't say who. He hoped it wasn't Severus, but it was difficult to say. It shouldn't be, he thought, considering there were no classes on Sundays. He went back to his book, ignoring the dulling pain in his shoulder.

"I hate that bitch!" Harry roared, bursting through the portrait hole. Lucius jumped and dropped his book, turning to stare at Harry.

"Who?" Lucius asked, slightly alarmed.

"Ginny!" he said, throwing his arms up and turning away from Lucius. "God, she doesn't understand any of what I told her when we broke up! And she thinks you're going to hurt me. She's strong, and she's great at magic, but I think she's gone insane," Harry muttered, calming slightly when he felt Lucius' arms wrap around him from behind.

"I will never hurt you," he promised, kissing the top of Harry's head. Harry smiled and turned around, leaning his head into Lucius' chest

"I know," Harry said softly. "You promised me you'd protect me."

"And I intend to make good on that promise," the blonde assured him, leaning back so he could look into Harry's face. "Never doubt it for a second."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Hallwill returned that evening. He was smiling when he stepped through the portrait hole, his smile growing at Lucius and Harry cuddling on the couch.

"I see nothing killed either of you while I wasn't here to protect you," Hallwill laughed. Lucius turned his head and returned the smile, motioning Hallwill over to sit nearby.

"We've managed to stay safe, thanks," Harry chuckled. "How did it go?"

"Fantastically. We've agreed that I'm going to join Charlie in Romania once you have graduated, since you will no longer be under my protection. Until then, however, I will stay here and act as your guardian as I have been asked to do."

"If you leave, will the Room of Requirement continue to work?" Harry asked. He then changed his question. "Does it work after the destruction we caused last year?"

"The Room of Hidden Things, no. That room has been destroyed. However, it was unable to damage the magic that creates the Room of Requirement, and as such, it will still work. It did not require my presence to function, though it was really quite fun to stay there and see who was sleeping with whom," Hallwill said with a slightly cruel giggle. "You can't imagine my disappointment when you did not progress terribly far with that other boy. I am a bit of a voyeur; it's nearly impossible to not be when you see that many couples. That girl you first kissed there, though, I'm glad that never went further." Harry shuddered, remembering Cho.

Lucius chuckled at Harry, blushing when Hallwill turned to him.

"And you and that Spanish boy. Oh yes, I remember that night quite clearly. I must say, I'm pleased to see you with someone who obviously has feelings for you beyond lust. That boy was attractive, but I never liked him. I believe I see why now," Hallwill said.

"Well, I'm glad that you'll be happy with Charlie," Harry said. "Do you ever intend to tell the rest of his family?" Hallwill shrugged.

"I suppose they'll find out somehow. Though I wonder how they will react to find out their son is dating a man more than a thousand years older than he is," Hallwill laughed.

"A bit of an age disparity, eh?" Harry asked, smiling. Hallwill nodded. "There's nothing they can do about it though, and knowing Molly, she'll be thrilled that there's a possibility of grandchildren. I mean, she considers me family, but I think she'll like the possibility of one of her oldest having children before I do."

Lucius looked at Harry.

"Are you trying to say that you eventually want to have children?" Lucius asked. Harry blushed and nodded. Lucius positively beamed, wrapping his arms around Harry and holding him tightly. Hallwill couldn't help but smile.

"Finally, the lines I created will converge," he murmured. "Who knows, your child may possess… special powers." Harry looked at Hallwill.

"I just want a child who's smart enough to keep him or herself out of serious trouble. Or smart enough to not get caught at it," Harry admitted. "I'm kind of tired of everything that happens to me being 'special.' Really, I'm not much smarter than most of the students here, and the only reason people see me differently than average is because of my ordeal with Voldemort. I defeated him with a spell I learned in my second year, you know."

"I simply meant that the convergence of the two blood lines I birthed into one child could have unique results," Hallwill assured him, smiling gently. "You are still quite powerful, Harry."

Harry shrugged, silently asking Hallwill to drop the subject, and the shape-shifter obliged.

"So, it sounds like things with Charlie went well," Harry said, knowing full well that was an understatement.

"They did. The feeling of finally finding both my companion and my mate was the most wonderful thing I've ever felt," Hallwill said with a contented sigh. "It was like I'd found a part of me I hadn't realized I was missing."

"I wish you both happiness," Lucius said, nodding his head slightly. "I may not have the best history with the Weasleys, but it seems it has become my fate to be involved with them."

"Just promise me that you won't call them blood traitors," Harry said sternly, making it clear that Lucius would be a very unhappy man if he didn't comply.

"I will try. Old habits die hard, and it may take some time," Lucius said with a sigh.

"Thank you. They've been like my family to me, and I don't want to lose them." Lucius nodded and kissed the top of Harry's head.

"Then I will do my best to not be the cause of that."

**A/N**: This chapter's a little shorter than others have been, but it's setting up for some action. (: I'm sure some of you will guess what's going to happen, but you'll see! :D

Thank you for reading; leave me a review, and everyone will be happy! The next update should be soon, as I now know exactly where I'm going with this.

~Amy Ehren


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** This chapter does contain some violence and attempted rape.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"I will be back this evening," Lucius said softly, giving Harry a lingering hug. Harry smiled.

"I'll miss you, but I'll see you tonight," Harry said, giving the blond a quick kiss before he grabbed his book bag and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. Lucius smiled and brushed off his clothes, making his own way towards the sweeping grounds of the castle and out the front gate, where he could Apparate to the Ministry.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"Where's Lucius?" Hermione asked, her eyes sweeping the staff table. Harry had to laugh at how easily she had begun calling him "Lucius" over "Mr. Malfoy." He pointed that out to her.

"How bizarre would it be for me to call my best friend's fiancée _Mister_ something? It makes him sound old and you seem like you're dating a bit of a pompous prat," she said with a shrug. "I mean, that's what he always seemed like to me, but I'm giving him a second chance." Harry rolled his eyes.

"How magnanimous of you," he said sarcastically, causing a small smile to appear on Hermione's face.

"Really, though, is he still sleeping?" she asked.

"No, actually, he's going to the Ministry to take care of some important business he had. I think it was to try to get his old job back, actually. They did fire him when that picture came out. I think they had actually been looking for a reason to get rid of him, but it had to make sense, so they used it as an excuse when the picture was published," Harry guessed. Hermione nodded thoughtfully.

"That would certainly make sense," she said slowly, tapping her index finger on her lower lip. After a moment, she shrugged and went back to eating her breakfast.

"You seemed rather concerned," Harry said, raising an eyebrow. The brown-haired witch adopted an innocent look.

"I can't wonder about the whereabouts of my best friend's fiancée and soul mate?" she asked, over exaggerating her innocence.

"No," Harry said mock-seriously. She giggled, but seemed to look torn between saying something and not.

"I was just wondering," she said quietly, silencing the question Harry started to ask with an authoritative look. Harry half-shrugged, still eyeing her slightly suspiciously when Ron arrived, ungracefully dropping on to the seat next to Hermione. She turned to him and smiled, kissing his cheek. Ron grinned rather sleepily, turning to give her a light peck. Harry couldn't help but smile at the fact that Hermione still blushed when he kissed her and Ron constantly had that look that he'd been hit in the back of the head with a bludger. He was quite surprised that they weren't soul mates. He shook his head and realized he had never asked.

"Are you guys… soul mates?" Harry asked, keeping his voice low. The couple turned to look at him. Ron shrugged.

"We haven't actually had sex yet, Harry," Hermione said, the corners of her lips quirking upwards.

"That's news," Harry said, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "What exactly were you doing when you spent the night in the Astronomy Tower, then?"

"Well, actually, Ron surprised me with a romantic dinner," she said, blushing. "And we ended up just watching the stars and we fell asleep and I caught a cold. You jumped to conclusions, I see."

"I didn't think Ron would be the type to do that," Harry said honestly.

"Hey, I can be spontaneous, too," Ron interjected indignantly, spraying crumbs over the table. Hermione rolled her eyes, unable to disguise her smile.

"He never said you couldn't be. That's why it's unexpected, and that makes it lovely," she assured him. Harry smiled at their utter sweetness.

"You've been good for each other," Harry said, turning back to his breakfast.

A school owl dropped the _Daily Prophet_ on Harry's plate, and he unwound the string tying it together. As of late, there had been nothing concerning him and Lucius, so Harry took to browsing the pages to see if anything interesting was happening. Ever since Voldemort's death, the newspaper had really turned into a tabloid, cataloguing the daily lives of celebrities of the Wizarding World (very few of who's names Harry recognized). As usual, nothing of any import was published, so Harry put down the paper and finished his breakfast.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Halfway through Potions, Harry noticed that Professor Snape was glaring at him more than he used to. Disconcerted, Harry did his best to keep his head down, correctly brew the potion, and not make him angry.

He had no idea what he had done now; he had been sure they had been inching towards being on better terms. For once, he hadn't actually done anything wrong to earn the man's wrath.

"You have twenty minutes left. A sample of your potion must be in a vial on my desk by five minutes before class ends," Snape said, his irritation evident in his voice. "If you bring your vial up within the next ten minutes, I will know you have brewed it incorrectly. Continue working."

Harry waited until he was absolutely sure his potion was properly prepared and scooped a small amount of it into a crystal vial. He stood up to carry it to Snape's desk. Halfway there, the mark on his shoulder began to burn like someone had stabbed him with a white-hot poker. In pain and surprise, he yelled and dropped the vial, reaching to clutch his shoulder. The pain spread, and he doubled over, dropping to his knees, biting his fist to keep from crying out again. Tears sprang into his eyes, and he hardly noticed everyone staring.

"Lucius," he gasped, remaining on the floor until the pain had miraculously abated. He stood, his entire body shaking. "S-sorry, professor." His voice was nearly inaudible, just as shaky as his body. Draco looked at him curiously, concerned with the fact that Harry repeatedly nearly dropped a second vial just holding it. The blond stood and took the vial from Harry, filling it and taking it to Snape's desk.

"Thank you," Harry said, his voice a bit stronger. "Draco, if your dad is in as much pain as I was just now, shouldn't the magic of he and I being soul mates have taken me to him?"

"Not necessarily. Unfortunately, the magic only includes life-threatening situations," Draco explained. "Pansy would probably have not hesitated to kill you, which is why he was Apparated here when she attacked you."

"Sorry to interrupt, boys, but I'm afraid Potter needs to clean up that potion he spilled," Snape said suddenly, still sounding angry. Harry nodded and reached into his supply bag, pulling out one of the rags he kept for cleaning up at the end of class. He wiped up the spilled potion, pulling out his wand to Vanish all of the shards of the vial that peppered the floor.

"I'm really scared, Draco," Harry whispered, staring wide-eyed at the blond. "That was a lot of pain. I really wish these damn marks let us communicate with our minds." He rubbed at his shoulder, biting his lip.

"If the situation becomes much worse, the magic will take you to him, I can almost guarantee it," Draco assured him, internally just as worried as Harry was.

"Class dismissed," Snape barked. Everyone else rushed out, but Harry groaned as he realized he hadn't cleaned up his own workspace. He quickly got to work, freezing when Snape stopped in front of him.

"Just because you are engaged to my best friend, you do not have the right to take from my personal stores," he hissed. Harry stared.

"What?"

"You heard me. While it may not have been you taking my Boomslang skin and Lacewing flies during the Triwizard Tournament, I know it was you, Weasley, and Granger your second year. This is the last time I tell you," the Potions Master growled, leaning in so his face was inches from Harry's. "Do not steal from my personal stores, Potter."

"I haven't taken anything!" he cried, hastily throwing everything into his bag, eager to be anywhere but in the same room as Snape, particularly when there was no one else there. "In case you haven't noticed, I haven't really had a need to break rules this year." The man narrowed his eyes. Harry ran out of the room, more than willing to run all the way back to his room.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"You look a bit stressed," Hallwill commented, looking him over.

"Something happened to Lucius," Harry said. "He was in a lot of pain for a few minutes, but then it faded. It's been kind of a dull throb for a while now, though. I'm worried."

A look of concern flitted over Hallwill's face.

"Something doesn't seem right, but he could have simply been apprehended by someone who does not approve of his actions during the war," the shape-shifter offered.

"Lucius is a better wizard than that, though." Harry sat down on the sofa. "Unless they totally ambushed him, he would have been able to easily hold them off."

"Perhaps you should not worry," Hallwill chided softly, offering a small smile. Harry sighed.

"It's hard not to. I just don't know what's happened," Harry said. He bit his lip.

As Hallwill opened his mouth to speak, the door opened and they turned to see Lucius sweeping in. Harry jumped up to hug him, but froze.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be back until later. Are you all right?" Harry eyed him nervously, noticing the blonde's angry expression. Lucius glared at him, and Harry flinched slightly under the intensity of the look.

"Stupid Mudbloods at the Ministry know nothing," Lucius hissed.

"Lucius! When I said that you should start being civil towards the Weasleys, I didn't mean that you could insult others!" Harry cried, taken aback by his lover's anger. Hallwill looked confused.

"You cannot dictate what I say or do not say." His glare was icy. "You have no right to ask me for anything."

"What the hell happened today? You're not yourself at all," Harry said, looking as though he wanted to cry. The man scoffed.

"You thought you knew me, didn't you? You should know I'm fantastic at making people see what I want them to see," Lucius said, a cruel smirk gracing his face.

"Then… everything was a lie?" Harry asked, feeling tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. "All of those things you told me about yourself?"

"You were the one stupid enough to believe them," he said as though talking about someone vastly unpleasant.

"Then what the fuck does this mark on my shoulder mean? I can't believe you would do this to me," Harry choked out, desperately trying to keep the tears from falling. "You're just like every person I've dated: you only cared about possibly getting to fuck the Golden Boy!" Lucius' hand shot out and slapped Harry across the face. He stumbled back slightly.

"You were asking for it, with your slutty body," the blonde purred maliciously, making his way behind Harry, running his hands all over the lean body. Harry pulled out of his grip.

"Don't touch me," he snarled. Lucius glared at him.

"You fucking tease." The blonde grabbed Harry, refusing to let go, despite Harry's struggles. He froze when he felt Lucius' breath on his ear. "I will have you tonight."

"Hallwill, help me!" Harry cried. The shape-shifter had been slowly and silently making his way around Lucius until he was at the man's back. Lucius, unfortunately, had anticipated the movement and spun quickly, freezing the shape-shifter with _Petrificus Totalus_. Hallwill fell to the floor, immobile. The blonde turned back to Harry. He picked up the smaller man with relative ease and carried him into their bedroom.

"Lucius, stop!" Harry shrieked, trying to writhe out of Lucius' grip. "Please!" He gasped as he was thrown roughly on to the bed. He looked fearfully at Lucius, who was beginning to unbutton Harry's shirt, tearing off several buttons in the process. The blonde roughly shoved his lips on to Harry's, forcing his tongue into the Gryffindor's mouth. Harry turned his head away and Lucius grabbed a fistful of dark hair, pulling Harry's head back to look at him.

A cry came from Lucius' mouth as he noticed the white snake climbing his leg. He reached down to pry it off, but it snapped at his hand. The snake reached his shoulders and began to change until Hallwill stood behind Lucius, one unnaturally long, sharp fingernail at the ex-Death Eater's throat.

"You have obviously never learned that shape-shifters can change shape while immobile, my dear _Lucius_," Hallwill hissed, digging his fingernail into the delicate flesh. "I should ask you who you really are." Even as Hallwill spoke, blonde hair was growing shorter and turning darker, becoming brown. The body filled out slightly and shrank a bit in height.

"What the fuck?" Harry yelled, panicked. "How could you?"

"It wasn't too hard. He's a piece of shit. I was so much better," the man spat, groaning slightly as Hallwill put more pressure on his throat.

"What did you do to him, Seamus?" Harry screeched, things beginning to fall into place in his mind.

"Ginny's got him. He's not dead. At least he wasn't when I left," Seamus said smugly.

"Tell me where, right now," Harry growled, standing up. His eyes blazed with pure fury. "Or I will let Hallwill kill you, as he looks ready to do." The fingernail had pierced the skin and a thin rivulet of blood trickled down his throat. Seamus was beginning to look afraid, whimpering slightly.

"We took him to the Room of Requirement," Seamus said quickly. Hallwill hissed.

"You dare to use _my_ magic to suit your deeds, to harm the children of my bloodlines?" His voice was cold, and Harry shivered at the hatred in Hallwill's eyes. "I do not complain about the uses of my magic in that room until harm comes to my children or any who share my blood. You are lucky Harry will not allow me to kill you."

"Take him to Dumbledore, Hallwill," Harry ordered. "I'm going to find Lucius. Seamus." The name seemed to bear a bitter taste now, and he grimaced after saying it. "How do I get in?"

"Ask for 'the room where the plans took effect,'" Seamus said. Harry turned and ran, not caring that his shirt was open.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

On the third walk by where he knew the entrance to the Room of Requirement was, the door materialized and Harry, by now filled with anger and worry, threw the door open.

"What are you doing here?" The shriek sounded panicked. Ginny was guarding Lucius, who was tied to a chair, unconscious. The man was nearly nude, explaining where Seamus had gotten Lucius' clothes. Harry couldn't see any marks on his chest or legs, but that didn't mean he was unharmed.

"What did you do to him?" Harry asked, his voice dangerously low. When the redhead didn't answer, he snarled, "I asked you what you did to him, Ginny!" For a moment, he thought she didn't respond again, then he saw her shoulders shaking. She was laughing.

"I just did what anyone who cares about you would," she said, a wide smirk on her face. Harry couldn't help himself; he pulled out his wand and pointed it at her.

"I know you hurt him, bitch. Tell me what you did!" he yelled.

"Well, when we first got him, Seamus used a few Stinging Hexes on him," Ginny said matter-of-factly, the smirk still on her face. "He wouldn't stop screaming for a while, saying his mark burned. Whatever that means. I couldn't get him to shut up, so I hit him over the head with my textbooks. That got him quiet."

Harry was clenching his fists so tightly that there were marks on the palm of his hands. "You fucking bitch. What was the point of this?"

"Seamus, disguised as Lucius, was supposed to make you think that Lucius never really loved you, so you would leave him and come back to me," she said sweetly.

"You're mental. I can't even believe that you would do this. I told you I wasn't interested in you, and I won't ever be. Even if Lucius weren't my soul mate, I would choose him over you. I'd choose Voldemort over you," Harry hissed. Ginny's eyes widened.

"But Harry! Everyone expects us to get married!" she cried.

"No they don't, Ginny! Your entire family could see I was gay before I could, with the exception of you," he said coolly.

Ginny was trying to think of anything to say to justify what she had done, as he had knocked down all of her arguments without so much as batting an eyelash. "He's a Death Eater!" she yelled, smiling triumphantly, convinced she had found Harry's weak spot.

"Voldemort is dead!" Harry bellowed. "There are no Death Eaters anymore, and I have seen into his mind and know that he will not be returning to those tendencies!" Harry's anger got the best of him and he sent a Stunning Spell at Ginny. She collapsed to the floor and Harry ran to Lucius, kneeling in front of him.

"Oh my god, Lucius," Harry murmured, carefully using a spell to sever the ropes that held him to the chair. The blonde collapsed onto Harry, who struggled to stand and carry the man in the utterly unromantic fireman's lift. It was the only way Harry could carry him, though. Freeing his wand hand for a moment, he cast a full body-bind on Ginny so that she was guaranteed immobility, flicking his wand to levitate her out the door.

It was a difficult journey to Dumbledore's office, but he finally made it to the door. He didn't bother knocking, instead pushing the door open with his foot. Hallwill had evidently been arguing with the old man over the best course of action, because besides the yelling Harry could hear, the shape-shifter still held Seamus with a fingernail to his throat.

"Help me!" Harry said, gently placing Lucius on the floor and allowing Ginny to tumble unceremoniously to the ground. Hallwill threw Seamus away from him, not pausing when he heard the Irishman yelp as he ran in to something. He knelt on Lucius' opposite side, placing his hand over the blonde's sternum. After a few moments, Hallwill withdrew his hand.

"He'll be fine. He's sleeping now," he assured Harry, smiling as Harry gently stroked Lucius' cheek, his eyes full of love.

"Please tell me what happened, Harry," Dumbledore asked, startling his addressee. Harry recounted everything, refusing to move from Lucius' side the entire time. Dumbledore listened intently, occasionally glancing towards Seamus, who Hallwill was glaring daggers at, and Ginny, who had broken free of the body-bind curse but had been knocked unconscious during her tumble to the ground. As Harry finished telling Dumbledore what had happened, the old man tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Harry, please make a fire call to Arthur and Molly and ask them to please come to Hogwarts. I would like their input on the punishment for Mr. Finnegan and Miss Weasley," Dumbledore ordered. "Arthur will be at the Ministry. Simply ask for his office. Floo powder is in a bag next to the fireplace."

Harry stood and reluctantly left Lucius' side to take a handful of the green powder. He tossed it in to the fireplace, sticking his head in and saying, "Arthur Weasley's office."

Harry's call apparently startled his secretary (or whoever she was), for she shrieked when she heard Harry ask, "Mr. Weasley?" The man in question ran to the fireplace, grinning in delight when he saw it was Harry.

"What can I do you for?" he asked, kneeling to better communicate.

"Actually, Mr. Weasley, I need both you and Mrs. Weasley to come to Dumbledore's Office as soon as possible," Harry said, biting his lip.

"I'll get Molly. Shall we Floo there?" Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows. Harry paused to look at Dumbledore, who nodded. Harry affirmed the question, and pulled his head out of the fire.

He went back to Lucius, sitting so that he could cradle the blonde. He stroked his hair with one hand, pleased to feel Lucius' breath on his neck. Harry jumped when he noticed Ginny starting to wake up. Before he could do anything, though, Hallwill had grabbed her by the arm and taken her next to Seamus. He kept a firm grip on both of their arms, his knife-like fingernails dangerously close to piercing their flesh.

"If either of you so much as takes a step, I _will_ hurt you," Hallwill snarled, his fingernails shrinking slightly. Harry couldn't help but think that he wouldn't mind at all if Hallwill were to seriously injure either of them.

The fire flared and Molly and Arthur stepped out, freezing when they saw Hallwill holding Ginny.

"What's going on?" Molly asked, turning to Dumbledore.

"It seems your daughter and Mr. Finnegan here are guilty of attacking with intent to harm another student and his mate," the man said, gesturing to Harry and Lucius. Molly gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, looking from Lucius and Harry to her daughter.

"She kidnapped Lucius and hurt him. Seamus used Polyjuice potion and turned into Lucius, trying to rape me while disguised as him to get me to go back to Ginny," Harry explained, unable to keep the anger out of his voice. "I thought she understood that I had no intention of being with her." He looked over to Molly and Arthur, who both looked shocked.

Molly was looking between Harry and Ginny, her hands visibly shaking. "I thought the Prophet lied when they said that you were engaged to him," she said, her unsteady hand pointing at Lucius. "What did he do to you?" Her voice cracked.

"He is my soulmate," Harry hissed, exposing his shoulder and for what felt like the hundredth time, tapping his mark, where it flared golden, then faded. Molly began to sway and Arthur put an arm around her waist to steady her.

"Has Ginny seen that mark?" Arthur asked quietly. Harry nodded. "She is a pureblood. She knows what that bond is, and she learned what happens when one tries to break it." A sob from Molly startled everyone.

"My little girl! What have you done?" she cried. A note of anger was slowly entering her voice. "You tried to defy that magic which cannot be broken! Your father and I have that same bond, Bill and Fleur have it! How dare you try to destroy the most sacred of magic?" The anger seemed to suddenly disappear. "Ginny, you are my only daughter. I wanted to see you happy, but if your happiness comes at the cost of another's soulmate, I can't support you."

"Ginny, just answer me. Why did you do it?" Arthur asked gently. She looked at him, her eyes dry.

"Because I'm better than that Death Eater scum. You always told me we were better than the Malfoys, and I wanted Harry to see that, too," she spat. Arthur groaned. He'd never imagined his attempts to keep his family from feeling demeaned by the Malfoys' past snipes would actually inspire violence.

"There is no excuse for what you have done," Arthur said quietly. He looked to Dumbledore. "As headmaster, I trust you can come up with an appropriate punishment."

"I suggest expulsion, and thus she will have to have her wand destroyed and live her life as a Squib," Dumbledore stated calmly.

"No." The voice startled everyone, including the man holding the speaker. Harry looked down at Lucius, having not noticed him awake. "She has potential. Send her to St. Mungo's for psychiatric therapy but allow her to continue to be a witch."

Harry buried his face in Lucius' shoulder, holding him tight.

"You're all right," he whispered, sighing in relief when he felt Lucius' arms wrap around his, albeit weakly.

"Yes," the blond replied, smiling at his soul mate. Harry kissed him gently, uncaring that they had an audience, ignoring the outcry of rage from Ginny. When they broke apart, Dumbledore clapped his hands together.

"Arthur, Molly, please accompany myself and Ginny to St. Mungo's. Hallwill, please continue to restrain Mr. Finnegan until our return," he said, magically tying Ginny's hands and gripping her arm.

The four disappeared into the Floo, leaving Harry, Lucius, Hallwill, and Seamus alone in Dumbledore's office.

"I'm sorry, Harry." Seamus' voice startled everyone, and Harry looked up at him.

"What?" Harry asked, staring.

"I didn't want to hurt you, but Ginny said it was the best way…" Seamus said, looking guiltily at both Harry and Lucius. "I went along with it anyways. I'm sorry."

"I don't really forgive you," Harry responded.

"I know," Seamus said softly, and the room lapsed into silence while they waited for Dumbledore to return.

**A/N:** So… I said I'd have this up, what, four months ago? Err… no real excuses, just that this was weirdly hard to write and that I got distracted by my first semester in college. (I failed psychology by the way, but passed all my music classes with flying colors! ^_^) Plus I discovered Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) and may I just say that I am completely in love. If you like Victorian England and homoeroticism, this is the manga/ anime for you. The manga is really different from the anime, but they're both quite good.

Um, I'll stop my little sales pitch here and say that I honestly don't know when the next chapter will be up. There's probably only three or four more chapters in this story, though. Thanks for reading, and I'd looooove reviews more than Grell looooves handsome men (especially his Sebas-chan, William, and Undertaker…). Heehee, thanks again!

~Amy Ehren


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